Credit:  US Mission To United Nations /  Kelly Knight Craft,  United States Ambassador to United Nations

By Gary Raynaldo     DIPLOMATIC TIMES

UNITED  NATIONS  –  NEW YORK  –  Finally, the United States has an active Ambassador to  the United Nations in place.  Kelly Knight Craft, 57, is the new U.S. ambassador to the UN.  Craft officially presented her credentials to UN Secretary-General  Antonio Guterres Thursday.  Until today,  the  crucial American diplomatic  post remained vacant a record seven months after Trump’s first UN envoy Nikki Haley resigned last year to spend more time with her family. 

Credit: UN Photo / /Eskinder Debebe / Kelly Craft (left), new Permanent Representative of the United States of America to the United Nations, presents her credentials to Secretary-General António Guterres  at world headquarters in New York Sep. 12, 2019.

“I come to the United Nations not only as the President’s emissary, but also as the voice of America’s unwavering commitment to democracy, freedom, human rights, and, whenever possible, the peaceful resolution of conflicts. In a world marked by humanitarian crises and geopolitical challenges, strong American leadership is absolutely critical, and I intend to provide it. I will defend America’s values and interests. I will stand by our friends and allies. I will advocate for the poor and the weak. And I will never fail to work with those who genuinely wish to advance the cause of human dignity.”

-Kelly Craft,  U.S. Ambassador to United Nations

Credit: UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe /  Kelly Craft, new Permanent Representative of United States of America to the United Nations, briefs press after attending her first Security Council meetings Sept. 12, 2019. 

Credit:  USUN.MISSION.gov/    Kelly Craft, new Permanent Representative of United States of America to the United Nations, at UN Security Council  Meeting to Consider the  Situation in the Central African Republic (CAR) Sept. 12, 2019. 

Craft was  the first woman to serve as U.S. Ambassador to Canada.  She is married to billionaire coal-mining executive Joe Craft, and they are major Republican donors.  Many view Craft as a weak choice for the crucial U.S. diplomatic posting. Craft is little known in diplomatic circles.  She also has no previous deep diplomatic experience.  Craft will be in global spotlight at the upcoming 74th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) next week, where the diplomatic debutante will have her coming out, so to speak, on the world stage.