#2024WCA: Ambassadors Linda Thomas-Greenfield and Brian A. Nichols

Speakers

• Linda Thomas-Greenfield, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations 
• Brian A. Nichols, Assistant Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs, U.S. Department of State 
• John Negroponte, Chairman Emeritus, Council of the Americas 
• Eric Farnsworth, Vice President, Council of the Americas

“One of the key reasons our partnerships are so strong is because we share democratic values. We share a commitment to civil liberties, to equal rights,” said U.S. Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield at the 54th Washington Conference on the Americas. The diplomat addressed how the United States is leveraging its bonds in the Western Hemisphere to promote democracy and well-being across the region.

Economic development is critical to that growth. “We also need to work together to create new opportunities through sustainable development and investments. That benefit all—not just the wealthy,” said Ambassador Greenfield-Thomas. She outlined initiatives of the Biden administration to spark growth in the region. But investment can’t just come from governments. “This is a region that demands a greater presence from the private sector globally,” noted Ambassador Brian A. Nichols. 

The U.S. partnership with countries in the Western Hemisphere is also critical to resolving world major conflicts, like instability in Haiti. “The contributions of countries in the hemisphere have been so important over the years that our administration had made clear that in our vision for UN Security Council reform,” said Thomas-Greenfield.