Cultural Diversity in the European Institutions
The word from Dr. Pierrette Herzberger-Forfana:
The European Commission has appointed Michaela Moua as its first anti-racism coordinator. I am delighted that she has been appointed to this position, which I proposed and indirectly helped to create in the context of my work as co-chair of the Anti-Racism and Diversity Intergroup (ARDI). This is an important step in the fight against structural racism in our institutions. This was one of my demands during our meetings with the President of the European Commission.
I sincerely congratulate the new EU anti-racism coordinator and assure her of my full support in her task.
Michaela Moua, a Finn of African descent – her father is from the Ivory Coast, studied international development after a successful career in professional basketball.
Her leadership positions in several Finnish non-governmental organizations fighting racism and discrimination and her experience as a project manager at the Finnish Ministry of Justice make her an expert in a culturally diverse society.
She is well equipped to fulfil her mission. In her position as anti-racism coordinator, she will be the link between civil society, especially ethnic minorities, and the European Commission. In particular, she will be responsible for listening to the concerns of the minorities concerned and bringing them to the attention of the Commissioner for Equality. She will work with Member States, the European Parliament and academics to further develop anti-racism policies. She will also be co-responsible for the implementation of the Action Plan against Racism in the European Union.
With the appointment of Michaela Moua, the Commission is fulfilling an important commitment announced in the EU Action Plan against Racism (2020-2025). In our meetings with the President of the Commission, we have repeatedly stressed that the future anti-racism coordinator must be a person from a minority background in order to reflect what the office is supposed to represent.
Diversity and the European Union
It is essential that all EU institutions develop targeted, effective and coordinated measures to achieve better representation of people from diverse cultural and ethnic minorities.
We will not achieve sufficient results in the EU if the European institutions do not take meaningful action on diversity. We hope that Michaela Moua will not be the only European woman of non-European origin to be appointed to such a position. Her appointment as anti-racism coordinator is timely: diversity must become more visible!
