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 made by UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
The appointment was announced in a statement issued by the Office of the UN Spokesperson on Wednesday (July 15). According to the statement, Fatima will succeed Roza Otunbayeva of Kyrgyzstan.
In the statement, Secretary-General Guterres expressed his gratitude to the outgoing mission chief, Roza Otunbayeva, for her dedicated and committed service. He also commended Georgette Gagnon of Canada, who has been serving as Deputy Head of UNAMA and Acting Head of the mission, for her valuable contributions.
Fatima currently serves as the United Nations 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 experience in public service at both the national and international levels. Her distinguished career spans bilateral and multilateral diplomacy, policymaking, international advocacy, and the formulation and implementation of development programmes.
Before assuming her current role, Fatima served as Bangladesh’s Permanent Representative and Ambassador to the United Nations in New York from 2019 to 2022, where she played a pivotal role in advancing Bangladesh’s diplomatic engagement at the UN.
She has also served as President of the UNICEF Executive Board and President of the Executive Board of UN Women. In 2022, she was elected the first woman Chair of the United Nations Peacebuilding Commission, marking a significant milestone in her diplomatic career.
The same year, she also served as Vice-President of the 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly. Observers say her extensive experience in international diplomacy and multilateral cooperation made her a strong choice for one of the UN’s most significant leadership roles in Afghanistan.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) plays a key role in coordinating humanitarian assistance, facilitating political dialogue, monitoring the human rights situation, and supporting development efforts across the country.