NEW YORK, JUNE 16, 2025 The United Nations African Mothers’ Association (UNAMA) celebrated its annual observance of the Day of the African Child at the African Union Headquarters in New York, bringing together diplomatic spouses, ECOSOC-accredited NGO leaders, and high-level dignitaries in a heartfelt and purposeful event. Among the most notable contributors was Ambassador Nakiim Bey, President of the International Human Rights Commission-USA Regional (IHRC-USA), whose generous support and impassioned advocacy elevated the day’s proceedings.
Running from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM, the event gathered many of UNAMA’s prominent members predominantly spouses of African ambassadors and permanent representatives to the United Nations under the patronage of Madame Tommo, President of UNAMA and spouse of Cameroon’s permanent representative.
At the center of the day’s message was a call to intensify collective action for the well-being and protection of children across Africa, especially those affected by poverty, conflict, and displacement. That message was powerfully echoed by Ambassador Cecilia A.M. Adeng, South Sudan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, whose moving speech drew from her own experience of childhood displacement and the urgent need to break the cycle for future generations. “I want a world where children can go to school, feel joy, have a safe home, and be surrounded by loving parents. I was once a displaced child… but another generation does not have to live the same reality,” she declared, stirring visible emotion in the audience.
Ambassador Nakiim Bey, a seasoned human rights advocate, licensed financial consultant, and global diplomatic leader, seized the occasion to reaffirm IHRC-USA’s unwavering commitment to protecting children in crisis. Representing his organization an ECOSOC consultative member focused on sustainable development goals (SDGs) he made a substantial monetary donation, in addition to announcing ongoing donations of educational equipment such as computers and didactic materials for African schools.
Under Nakiim Bey’s leadership, IHRC-USA and its affiliate initiatives have been instrumental in advancing UN SDGs including poverty eradication, education for all, gender equality, and access to health, water, hygiene, and decent work. His intervention was not only philanthropic but strategic, reinforcing how African and Afro-descendant civil society actors can leverage international mechanisms for durable impact.
Nakiim Bey’s vast experience includes a decorated background in executive leadership, strategic negotiation, and international law, with certifications from Oxford, Harvard, Cornell, and Cambridge. He is also the founder of Woodberry Wealth Preservation & Corporate Consulting and serves as Global Chairman of AMEESA Inc., a pan-African economic sustainability organization. Through IHRC-USA, he has coordinated youth tours to the United Nations and spearheaded tech donations to African institutions, demonstrating a lifelong dedication to equity, education, and empowerment.
The ceremony was not only a moment of celebration but also one of mobilization where symbolic gestures translated into concrete commitments. The presence and contributions of figures like Ambassador Nakiim Bey signaled a turning point in how diaspora-led institutions and individuals can influence Africa’s developmental future from the global stage.
As the day concluded, one sentiment stood tall: African children are not merely beneficiaries of goodwill they are central to the future of a continent and a global society yearning for justice, equity, and opportunit
For more information about the International Human Rights Commission-USA Regional and their initiatives, please visit their official website https://ihrcusaregional.org/
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