Merry Walker: A Versatile Diplomat Creating A Difference

Today, for most, life is just about surviving, especially in the regions where elements of resource accessibility, affordability, or availability are unknown. This challenge though was addressed when the world entered the era of globalization, yet it was seen that people needed more than just the act of economic theories.

To aid this process and enable resource mobilization, countries resorted to enhancing global human engagement through policy and diplomacy. Good diplomacy has yielded vast benefits of peace, infrastructural developments, investments, leveraging human resources and skills, and more. Diplomats have brought the world closer than it was, crafting a new era of global cohesiveness and communication.

One such diplomat is Foreign Service Officer– Merry Walker, in the U.S Department of State, who has imbibed the learnings of life and is on a powerful mission to serve the purpose of affecting numerous people positively through policies and dialogue, helping everyone live and not just survive.

But this is not all. There is more to know about her vibrant personality.

Please tell us about your roles and responsibilities as a Foreign Service Officer.

Foreign Service Officers, also known as U.S. diplomats, work to advance U.S. interests abroad, promote peace, support prosperity, and protect American citizens.

We manage foreign relations specific to the nation, international organization, or region we are assigned to, focusing on a range of issues including economics and trade, science and technology, politics, military, humanitarian, health, and other topics relevant to U.S. policy.

Benjamin Franklin served as our country’s diplomat, establishing critical relations with France which helped secure our victory in the Revolutionary War. It is an honor to follow in his footsteps serving as a U.S. diplomat at the U.S. Embassy in Paris centuries later.

As a diplomat, why, in your opinion, should the foreign policy of nations converges on solutions for enhancing healthcare across the globe? How have you contributed to it?

Health is something that links us all. As witnessed in the recent Covid-19 pandemic, diseases and illnesses know no borders, do not discriminate, and cannot be addressed by any one country or organization. International cooperation is critical to ensuring global health and promoting health security.

During my time at the U.S. Embassy in Paris, I have served as the global health officer. This has meant learning about health and Covid-19 programs and policies in France and the European Union to inform senior U.S. leaders to ultimately make foreign and domestic policy decisions on issues like vaccines, masks, travel restrictions, and other measures, as well as where we can cooperate with France in terms of research and development, scientific cooperation, and information sharing.

I organize discussions between relevant research bodies, government agencies, associations, and the private sector, to facilitate the exchange of best practices, as well as coordinate strategies and plans. As the pandemic came under control, I shifted my focus to health more broadly, including mental health, cancer, and emerging and infectious diseases.

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