United Nations 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).

As a career diplomat, Fatima served as Ambassador of Bangladesh to Japan (2016-2019), as Director-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bangladesh (2015-2016), and in Bangladesh missions in New York, Geneva, Beijing and Kolkata, and in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in different capacities. 

Fatima succeeded Roza Otunbayeva, former President and Foreign Minister of Kyrgyzstan, to whom the Secretary-General expressed his gratitude for her dedicated service.

He also thanks Georgette Gagnon of Canada, Deputy Special Representative of UNAMA, who currently serves as Officer-in-Charge of the Mission, according to an official announcement made by the UN Headquarters on July 15.

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. 

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

Prior to this, she was the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the United Nations in New York (2019-2022). 

In that capacity, she served as the President of the Executive Boards of UNICEF (2020) and UN-Women (2022), as well as Vice-President of the UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS Executive Board (2021). 

She was the first woman to be elected as the Chair of the Peacebuilding Commission in 2022. 

She also served as a Vice-President of the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly.

Fatima also served in the International Organization for Migration (IOM) as Regional Adviser for South and South-West Asia and Regional Adviser for Climate Change and Migration (2012-2015), and as Regional Representative for South Asia (2007-2011). 

She was also the Head of Human Rights at the Commonwealth Secretariat in London (2006-2007).

Fatima holds a master’s degree in international relations and diplomacy from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, United States, and a bachelor’s degree in social science from the University of Canberra, Australia. 

In addition to her native Bangla, she speaks English and has working knowledge of Hindi and Urdu.