Ms. Gaynel Curry serves on the United Nations (UN) Permanent Forum on People of African Descent, a platform dedicated to improving the safety and quality of life and livelihoods of people of African descent, while also functioning as an advisory body to the UN Human Rights Council. With over 23 years of experience at the UN across various locations such as Geneva, New York, Afghanistan, South Sudan and Timor-Leste, Curry’s expertise spans human rights, gender equality and sustainable development.

In her most recent UN role as a Human Rights Advisor at the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Geneva, Curry led work on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development within the Human Rights Council, supporting States to adopt a human rights-based approach in the implementation of the Agenda. Previously, as Gender and Women’s Rights Advisor and Acting Chief of Global Issues at the UN Human Rights Office in New York, Curry played a pivotal role in implementing Security Council resolutions on conflict-related sexual violence. She also engaged with various UN bodies, including the Commission on the Status of Women, the UN Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women, and the CEDAW Committee. At the OHCHR-New York Office, Curry oversaw efforts supporting the International Decade for People of African Descent. She lectured at the OHCHR Fellowship Program to Promote the Rights of People of African Descent and advised the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, as well as the UN Group of Independent Eminent Experts on the Implementation of the Durban Declaration and Program of Action on Racism.

Curry has held several government positions in the Bahamas, her home country, including as the founding Director of the Bahamas Department of Gender and Family Affairs within the Ministry of Social Services and Urban Development. She is currently a Member of the Law Faculty at the University of the Bahamas where she lectures in International Human Rights Law and Public International Law. She has been a guest lecturer at several universities in North America and Europe and a Fellow at the Institute of International Humanitarian Affairs (IIHA) at Fordham University.

As an independent consultant, Curry advises governments and organizations, including the Caribbean Development Bank, on various human rights and social justice issues such as gender equality, environmental racism, climate justice and sustainable development.

Curry holds a Master’s Degree in International Human Rights Law from the University of Oxford, a Master’s Degree in International Affairs from the American University in Washington, DC, a Degree in Law (LLB) from the University of London, and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History and Social Sciences from the University of the West Indies, Jamaica. She also possesses an Advanced Diploma in Public Policy from the University of the Bahamas. With her blend of experience, passion and academic rigor, Gaynel Curry remains a driving force in the pursuit of equality and justice for all.