UN chief appoints Bangladesh's Rabab Fatima special representative for Afghanistan

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday appointed Rabab Fatima of Bangladesh his new special representative for Afghanistan and head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).

According to a statement from the UN spokesperson's office, Fatima will succeed Roza Otunbayeva of Kyrgyzstan.

Guterres expressed gratitude for Otunbayeva's dedicated service and also thanked Georgette Gagnon of Canada, the UNAMA's deputy special representative, who is currently serving as officer-in-charge of the mission, said the statement.

It noted that Fatima currently serves as under-secretary-general and high representative for the least developed countries, landlocked developing countries, and small island developing states.

"Ms. Fatima brings to the position over 30 years of experience in national and international civil service, encompassing bilateral and multilateral diplomacy, policymaking, advocacy, programme planning and implementation," it added.

Before taking up her current role, Fatima served as Bangladesh's ambassador to the UN in New York from 2019 to 2022. During that time, she served as president of the executive boards of UNICEF and UN-Women, became the first woman elected chair of the Peacebuilding Commission in 2022, and was also a vice president of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly.