Ambassador Dr Riyad H. Mansour, born to a refugee family in Ramallah, began his involvement in Palestinian politics during his youth. Starting his diplomatic career in 1983 at the Permanent Observer Mission of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) to the United Nations, he was appointed Ambassador and Permanent Observer of Palestine to the UN in 2005. Additionally, since November 29, 2012, he has been the Ambassador and Permanent Observer to the State of Palestine at the UN. Dr. Mansour holds the rank of Minister of the State of Palestine and Chairman of the Group of 77 and China at the United Nations in New York since January 2019. With a diverse career, including roles in the private sector and academia, he obtained his Ph.D. in Counseling from the University of Akron in 1977. Dr. Mansour is fluent in Arabic and English, having published studies on the Palestinian community in the United States and actively participated in international conferences.