On Wednesday, the cabinet of the German government appointed 31-year-old SPD politician Reem Alabali-Radovan to the newly created office of anti-racism commissioner.

The new post was created by the traffic light coalition government made up of the SPD, Greens and FDP in their coalition agreement.

In her new role, Alabali-Radovan wants to develop a diversity strategy for the federal administration. Her goal is that “the diversity of our society is also reflected in the federal ministries and federal authorities”, she said in Berlin on Wednesday.

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“Racism is a crime against humanity,” she explained. “For those affected, it is an existential threat, they suffer physically and psychologically.”

The new Commissioner wants to coordinate the federal government’s diverse measures against racism across departments from the federal chancellery and develop a national action plan against racism. She plans to promote new projects for more prevention, educational work and research in order to strengthen civil society throughout Germany in the fight against racism.

Also the Minister of State for Integration, Alabali-Radovan entered the federal parliament for the first time last year. She was previously Integration Commissioner in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.

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Commenting on the appointment, the Parliamentary Secretary of the SPD parliamentary group, Katja Mast said: “the fight against racism and discrimination – in all its manifestations – is a top priority for us and is anchored directly in the Chancellor’s Office”. She was sure “that Reem Alabali-Radovan will tackle this task with a clear attitude and the necessary drive”.