On 19 July 2018, Dr. Michael Imran Kanu was appointed Deputy Permanent Representative (DPR) for Legal Affairs for the Republic of Sierra Leone Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York, an ambassadorial rank position. The appointment by H.E. Brig. Rtd. Julius Maada Bio, the newly-elected President of Sierra Leone, follows the appointment of other young people to key government positions since his election in April 2018.
Michael is an alumn of the International Business Law program (IBL, '15) and the Doctoral (S.J.D.) Program of the Department of Legal Studies. He defended his doctoral dissertation on Access to Credit and Personal Property Security Law Reform in Africa: Examining the Legal Framework in Sierra Leone with Comparative Perspectives from England and United States in June 2018.
At CEU Michael was an active member of our multicultural community, and was co-convener of the CEU Africa Research Group. In early 2018, he taught at the University of Makeni in Northern Sierra Leone as a CEU Global Teaching Fellow.
In December 2018, Michael led Sierra Leone’s delegation to the 17th Session of International Criminal Court Assembly of States Parties held in The Hague, Netherlands.
In his new role Michael’s portfolio covers representation in the Sixth (Legal) Committee of the United Nations General Assembly, following the work of the International Law Commission, Commission on the Law of the Sea, the United Nations Commission for International Trade Law and other specialized agencies of the UN in New York.
Heartfelt congratulations to Michael on his appointment. We wish him great success in his new role.