University of The Bahamas Scholar Heads UN Permanent Forum on People of African Descent

5^th May 2026

Nassau, THE BAHAMAS – Head of the Law Programme in the School of Social Sciences, Assistant Professor Gaynell Curry has been appointed Chair of the United Nations Permanent Forum on People of African Descent, an achievement that reflects her distinguished leadership.

Assuming the role at the Forum’s Sixth Session at the Palais des Nations in Geneva Switzerland, Ms. Curry emphasized a mission grounded in the aspirations, dignity, and human rights of people of African descent worldwide.

“I will work to ensure that all our efforts continue to meaningfully reflect and bring visibility to the challenges faced by vulnerable and marginalized groups of our constituency, in particular women and girls of African descent, persons with disabilities, children, youth, the elderly, migrants, and the economically disenfranchised,” noted Ms. Curry during her remarks.

“These socio-economic equalities that plague communities of African descent are deeply rooted in the legacies of enslavement and colonialism and require collective, intentional, transformational responses across continents. To this end, I will sincerely engage and seek meaningful opportunities to strengthen ties between Africans on the continent and people of African descent.”

Ms. Curry added that the UN Permanent Forum on People of African Descent was created “so we can tell our own stories of our own lived experiences, claim our space and demand justice” as she issued a clarion call for communities across the globe to foster sustainable development.

“I call on my Caribbean brothers and sisters on those across the Americas, in Europe and in Asia to help build networks towards non-violence, non-discrimination, equality, economic growth, innovation and development for all people of African descent especially during the Second Decade for People of African Descent,” she added.

Her appointment places a Bahamian academic at the forefront of the largest platform for conversations within the UN system on human rights for this grouping, amplifying the voices and concerns of communities often underrepresented on the global stage.

Further demonstrating the University’s impact in this space, Associate Professor and Psychology Programme Coordinator at UB Dr. Niambi Hall Campbell Dean, was also recognized during the Forum. The Bahamas was acknowledged as one of few nations to officially launch the Second International Decade for People of African Descent and UB was the host site for this landmark launch.

At the forum, Dr. Campbell Dean, who also chairs the Bahamas National Reparations Committee, played a pivotal role in advancing discussions on reparatory justice and cultural heritage. She made an intervention highlighting the unique challenges facing The Bahamas and championed call for reparations.

“The threat of erasure through intensifying hurricanes and rising seas is a demonstration of the devastating impact of industrialized economies built upon our enslaved ancestors’ backs are now having on us,” said Dr. Campbell Dean. “We were trafficked to these lands and forced to forget our names. Now we live under the constant threat of being forgotten. We are the values that were stolen and our identity is the culture that must be restored.”

UB congratulates distinguished scholars, Ms. Curry and Dr. Campbell Dean, on advancing critical national and international conversations through their prominent roles on human rights and justice for people of African descent.