Fourth session of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent

After a successful career as a Financial Consultant, Yvonne O'Neal now spends her time as an advocate for social justice, including gender justice, climate justice and finance, and the empowerment of women. She serves as the Overseas Program Officer of Africa Development Interchange Network (ADIN), a non-governmental organization (NGO) with special status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. In addition, she served as a member of the Advisory Council of the Anglican Communion Office at the United Nations, to which the 104th Archbishop of Canterbury appointed her.

Yvonne is the Vice-Chair of the NGO Committee on Financing for Development, a former member of the Executive Committee of the NGO Committee on the Status of Women, and was the Co-Chair of the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development-NY. In addition, she is active in New York City for CEDAW (Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women), working to develop a bill of rights to end all forms of discrimination against women.
A member of the Diocese of New York Task Force on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, Yvonne conceived and produced the acclaimed panel "Climate Change: What's Gender Got to Do With It?" during the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence in November 2022.

Yvonne serves on The Church Pension Fund Board of Trustees (CPF Board) and is the vice chair of the Audit Committee. She is also a Trustee and Vice President of The Church Club of New York. In the Diocese of New York, Yvonne is a Standing Committee member and serves on the Task Force Against Human Trafficking.

In 2018, Yvonne was awarded a Citation by the Council of the City of Philadelphia "for her commitment to the advancement of women and girls in the United States and abroad." In 2021, she received the Women's Global Empowerment Award from the World Yoga Community.