WASHINGTON—Today, Dr. Dafna H. Rand, Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor made the below statement following her appointment to the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as the U.S. Helsinki Commission:
“I am deeply honored to serve as a White House-appointed Helsinki Commissioner. Respect for human rights and dignity within states is essential to security and cooperation among states. I look forward to working with my fellow Commissioners to keep the spotlight on the Kremlin’s intensifying internal repression and aggression against Ukraine, as well as to advance human rights and democracy across the OSCE region,” Assistant Secretary Rand said. “Might does not make right. Together with the other Commissioners, I will defend a global order founded on respect for the rights and dignity of all, and work to strengthen democratic pillars – press freedoms, civil and political rights, free and fair elections, and the rule of law.”
Dr. Dafna H. Rand is the Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (DRL). Previously, she served in numerous roles across the State Department, including: Director, Office of Foreign Assistance (F); Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, DRL; Policy Planning Staff (S/P) member. From 2017-2021, she served as the Vice President of Policy and Research at Mercy Corps, a non-governmental organization working in 40 countries to support communities in need. She also served at the National Security Council during the Obama administration. Dr. Rand is the former Deputy Director of Studies at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) and a former professional staff member of the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI). She started her career in government as the foreign policy and defense legislative assistant to Senator Frank R. Lautenberg. Dr. Rand’s research has focused on international security and democratic reform in the Middle East and North Africa, including two books on the subject. She earned a PhD in political science at Columbia University and an AB at Harvard University. Originally from Massachusetts, Dr. Rand now lives with her husband and three children in Maryland.
Read her full biography here.
