Ambassador Dorothy Camille Shea, Acting U.S. Representative to the United Nations, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service with 33 years of experience, was nominated by President Biden to be Deputy U.S. Representative to the United Nations in New York and confirmed by the U.S. Senate for this role on August 1, 2024.
She was previously nominated by President Trump to be Ambassador to the Lebanese Republic, where she served from March 2020 – December 2023. Prior to that, she served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Cairo, Egypt; from 2014-2017 as Deputy Principal Officer at the then-U.S. Consulate General in Jerusalem; and before that from 2011-2014 as Director for Asia and Near East in the State Department’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration.
Ms. Shea engaged in mid-career studies at the National War College (NWC), where she earned a master’s degree in National Security Strategy. From 2009-2010, she served as Senior Professional Staff Member with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, where she covered Middle East and North African issues under then-Ranking Member Richard Lugar. Other overseas assignments include service as Counselor for Political and Economic Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Tunisia; political officer at the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv, Israel, where she worked on the Israeli-Palestinian peace process; and her first overseas posting was in Johannesburg, South Africa, during that country’s transition from apartheid to democracy.
Ms. Shea also served in a variety of positions in the State Department, including as Nigeria Desk Officer, Watch Officer, Staff Assistant with Policy Planning Staff, and Special Assistant in the Office of War Crimes Issues. From 2000-2001, she was detailed to the National Security Council as the Director for Human Rights. In 1998 she was awarded a Council on Foreign Relations Fellowship, during which she lectured at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa, and wrote a book about the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission. In addition to receiving numerous Superior Honor and Meritorious Honor Awards throughout her career she has been recognized annually with Senior Performance Pay, and in 2022 was one of nine State Department officers to receive a Meritorious Presidential Rank Award. Ms. Shea holds degrees from the University of Virginia and Georgetown University, in addition to NWC. She speaks French and Arabic.
The U.S. Mission to the United Nations (USUN) serves as the United States delegation to the United Nations. USUN is responsible for carrying out the nation’s participation in the world body. In 1947 the United States Mission was created by an act of Congress to assist the President and the Department of State in conducting United States policy at the United Nations. Since that time, USUN has served a vital role as the Department of State’s UN branch. Today, USUN has approximately 150 people on staff who serve to represent the United States political, economic and social, legal, military, public diplomacy and management interests at the United Nations.
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