Bangladeshi diplomat appointed head of UN mission in Afghanistan

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday appointed Bangladeshi diplomat Rabab Fatima as the new head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).

Fatima, a veteran diplomat who has served in several capitals and represented Bangladesh at the United Nations, is currently the UN’s High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States.

According to a statement from the office of the UN secretary-general’s spokesperson, Fatima brings more than 30 years of experience in national and international civil service, including bilateral and multilateral diplomacy, policymaking, advocacy, programme planning and implementation.

She succeeds Canadian Georgette Gagnon, UNAMA’s deputy special representative, who had been serving as the acting head of the mission.

Established in 2002, UNAMA has played a key role in coordinating humanitarian assistance, facilitating political dialogue and monitoring human rights in Afghanistan since the Taliban returned to power in 2021.

The UN Security Council renewed the mission’s mandate for another year in June, despite reservations from the United States over its objectives and methods.