From Flickr Creative Commons by DonkeyHotey
President-elect Joe Biden has named Indian American diplomat Uzra Zeya as his Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights. Zeya was nominated on Jan. 16 and her position requires Senate confirmation.
“Zeya will be a champion for putting universal rights and strengthening democracy at the center of our efforts to meet the challenges of the 21st century,” the Biden transition team said while announcing her nomination, according to India West.
Previously, Zeya served as CEO and President of a nonprofit that works to end violent conflict and promotes peace globally, called Alliance for Peacebuilding.
According to American Bazaar, Zeya has over two decades of experience with the Department of State, during which she served in a number of roles, including Chargé d’Affaires and Deputy Chief of Mission at U.S. Embassy in Paris, Acting Assistant Secretary and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, and Chief of Staff to the Deputy Secretary of State.
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In 2018, Zeya left her job at the Department of State, denouncing the Trump administration’s alleged racial and sexist bias and claiming that the administration was bent on reversing decades of gains made by minorities and women under secretaries such as Colin Powell and Hillary Clinton, reports American Bazaar.
According to India West, Zeya wrote in an article published by Politico that “a quieter trend unfolded” under then-Secretary of State Rex Tillerson: “the exclusion of minorities from top leadership positions in the State Department and embassies abroad.”
“In my 25+years as a diplomat, I learned that America’s greatest strength is the power of our example, diversity & democratic ideals. I will uphold and defend these values, if confirmed, as Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights,” Zeya tweeted after her nomination on Jan. 16, reports India West.
Zeya, a graduate of Georgetown University School of Foreign Service, has expertise in Near East, South Asian, Europe, human rights, and multilateral affairs, and has served as U.S. diplomat in capitals such as New Delhi, Muscat, Damascus, Cairo, and Kingston. She is also a recipient of the Légion d’honneur, France’s highest civilian honor, and 15 Superior Honor and Senior Performance Awards, reports India West.
Zeya is among a long list of Indian Americans appointed by Biden as members of his administration, according to India West. Recently, Sameera Fazili was appointed Deputy Director, National Economic Council and Vidur Sharma was named as the Test Advisor on Biden’s Covid-19 Response Team.
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Still no East Asians being nominated. No Chinese, Japanese, or Korean Americans. Or am I missing something? Someone?