Bangladesh's Rabab Fatima appointed UN chief for Afghanistan mission

Senior Bangladeshi diplomat Rabab Fatima has been appointed as the United Nations Secretary-General's Special Representative for Afghanistan and Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).

The appointment was announced on Wednesday (July 15) by the Office of the UN Spokesperson, which said UN Secretary-General António Guterres selected Fatima to succeed Roza Otunbayeva of Kyrgyzstan.

In the announcement, Guterres expressed gratitude to Otunbayeva for her leadership of UNAMA and thanked Georgette Gagnon of Canada, who has been serving as the mission's acting head.

Fatima currently serves as the UN Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for the Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS).

According to the United Nations, she brings more than three decades of national and international experience in diplomacy, policymaking, multilateral negotiations, international advocacy and programme 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.

In 2022, she made history as the first woman elected Chair of the UN Peacebuilding Commission and also served as Vice-President of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly, further strengthening Bangladesh's profile in global diplomacy.

Her appointment marks another significant milestone for Bangladesh's representation in the United Nations leadership.