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U.S. State Department creates position of diversity officer

24 February 2021 23:52 (UTC +04:00)

Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday announced the creation of a State Department chief diversity officer, an effort to make the diplomatic corps more representative and part of President Joe Biden’s pledge to work to heal U.S. racial divisions, APA reports quoting Reuters.

The diversity and inclusion officer will report directly to Blinken, according to a statement that did not say who would be named to the position.

Diversity, equity and racial justice rose to the top of the national agenda last year. The police killing of Black man George Floyd in May after years of such deaths sparked nationwide and global protests that highlighted systemic bias in many American institutions.

“The State Department has the honor of representing the American people to the world. To do that well, we must recruit and retain a workforce that truly reflects America,” Blinken said.