Angela King
Encyclopedia
Angela Evelyn Vernon King (August 28, 1938 - February 5, 2007) was a Jamaica
n diplomat
. She worked for the United Nations
for 38 years, from 1966 to 2004, working mainly for equal rights for women. She was appointed Assistant Secretary-General for gender issues in 1997, remaining in that post until she retired in 2004.
. Her father was Canon R.O.C. King; her brother was Peter King. She was educated at St Hilda's High School and Wolmer High School in Kingston, and studied for a B.A.
in history at the University College of the West Indies. She received an MA in educational sociology and administration from the University of London
in 1962. She then joined the Foreign Office of the newly-independent Jamaica, and was posted to Jamaica's Permanent Mission at the United Nations in New York
.
King joined the UN Secretariat in 1966, working on matters relating to human rights and social development. She was a founding member of the UN's Group on Equal Rights for Women (GERWUN), and chaired the UN's United Nations Commission on the Status of Women
(UN CSW). She headed the UN Observer Mission in South Africa (UNOMSA) in 1992 to 1994, as apartheid was dismantled. Boutros Boutros Ghali's decision to choose a black woman to head the mission was praised by Nelson Mandela
, who also complimented King her work.
Angela King was named Director of the Division for the Advancement of Women (DAW) of the Department for Economic and Social Affairs on 1 February 1996. In February 1997, the UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan
appointed Ms. Angela E.V. King as his Special Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women. The appointment, at the level of Assistant Secretary-General, took effect on 1 March 1997. Ms. King chaired the Inter-Agency Network on Women and Gender and Equality and was supported by the Division for the Advancement of Women.
King participated in the UN conferences on women’s rights, from the inaugural meeting in Mexico City
in 1975 to the landmark Fourth World Conference on Women
in Beijing
20 years later which led to the Beijing Platform for Action. She organized a special session of the UN General Assembly in 2000 to review its implementation, known as "Beijing+5", and pushed for the UN Security Council to adopt Resolution 1325 (2000), calling for greater protection for women in war, and prosecution of offenders against women. She retired in 2004, but continued to attend and address UN meetings on women's issues, including the 50th session of the Commission on the Status of Women.
, aged 68 at New York City
's Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Centre. She was survived by her son.
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
n diplomat
Diplomat
A diplomat is a person appointed by a state to conduct diplomacy with another state or international organization. The main functions of diplomats revolve around the representation and protection of the interests and nationals of the sending state, as well as the promotion of information and...
. She worked for the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
for 38 years, from 1966 to 2004, working mainly for equal rights for women. She was appointed Assistant Secretary-General for gender issues in 1997, remaining in that post until she retired in 2004.
Early life
King was born in Kingston, JamaicaKingston, Jamaica
Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley International Airport to the rest of the island...
. Her father was Canon R.O.C. King; her brother was Peter King. She was educated at St Hilda's High School and Wolmer High School in Kingston, and studied for a B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in history at the University College of the West Indies. She received an MA in educational sociology and administration from the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
in 1962. She then joined the Foreign Office of the newly-independent Jamaica, and was posted to Jamaica's Permanent Mission at the United Nations in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
UN career
United Nations Commission on the Status of Women
The Commission on the Status of Women is a functional commission of the United Nations Economic and Social Council , one of the main UN organs within the United Nations.Every year, representatives of Member States gather at United Nations Headquarters in New York to evaluate progress on gender...
(UN CSW). She headed the UN Observer Mission in South Africa (UNOMSA) in 1992 to 1994, as apartheid was dismantled. Boutros Boutros Ghali's decision to choose a black woman to head the mission was praised by Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, and was the first South African president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing...
, who also complimented King her work.
Angela King was named Director of the Division for the Advancement of Women (DAW) of the Department for Economic and Social Affairs on 1 February 1996. In February 1997, the UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan
Kofi Annan
Kofi Atta Annan is a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh Secretary-General of the UN from 1 January 1997 to 31 December 2006...
appointed Ms. Angela E.V. King as his Special Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women. The appointment, at the level of Assistant Secretary-General, took effect on 1 March 1997. Ms. King chaired the Inter-Agency Network on Women and Gender and Equality and was supported by the Division for the Advancement of Women.
King participated in the UN conferences on women’s rights, from the inaugural meeting in Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
in 1975 to the landmark Fourth World Conference on Women
Fourth World Conference on Women
The United Nations convened the Fourth World Conference on Women: Action for Equality, Development and Peace on 4-15 September 1995 in Beijing, China. 189 governments and more than 5,000 representatives from 2,100 non-governmental organizations participated in the Conference...
in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
20 years later which led to the Beijing Platform for Action. She organized a special session of the UN General Assembly in 2000 to review its implementation, known as "Beijing+5", and pushed for the UN Security Council to adopt Resolution 1325 (2000), calling for greater protection for women in war, and prosecution of offenders against women. She retired in 2004, but continued to attend and address UN meetings on women's issues, including the 50th session of the Commission on the Status of Women.
Death
She died of breast cancerBreast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
, aged 68 at New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
's Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Centre. She was survived by her son.