UN chief appoints Bangladesh’s Rabab Fatima as new UNAMA head in Afghanistan

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has appointed Rabab Fatima of Bangladesh as his new Special Representative for Afghanistan and Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).

According to a statement issued by the UN spokesperson’s office on Wednesday, Fatima will succeed Roza Otunbayeva of Kyrgyzstan, who has led the mission in Afghanistan in recent years.

Guterres expressed his appreciation for Otunbayeva’s dedicated service and also thanked Georgette Gagnon of Canada, UNAMA’s Deputy Special Representative, who is currently serving as Officer-in-Charge of the mission.

Fatima currently serves as the UN’s Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States.

The UN said Fatima brings more than three decades of experience in national and international public service, including bilateral and multilateral diplomacy, policymaking, advocacy, and programme planning and implementation.

Before assuming her current UN role, Fatima served as Bangladesh’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York from 2019 to 2022. During her tenure, she chaired the executive boards of UNICEF and UN Women, became the first woman elected Chair of the Peacebuilding Commission in 2022, and also served as a Vice President of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly.

Her appointment comes as UNAMA continues to play a central role in coordinating international engagement and humanitarian efforts in Afghanistan.