UN chief appoints Bangladeshi diplomat as new envoy for Afghanistan

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has appointed Bangladeshi diplomat Rabab Fatima as his new Special Representative for Afghanistan and head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), a diplomatic source told Afghanistan International.

Fatima succeeds Roza Otunbayeva, whose mandate ended in September last year. During her final briefing to the UN Security Council, Otunbayeva highlighted Afghanistan's humanitarian crisis, the situation of women's rights and the country's urgent needs, while calling for increased assistance and changes to Taliban policies.

The appointment follows the UN Security Council's unanimous vote on June 16 to extend UNAMA's mandate for another year. The resolution, introduced by China, was adopted with the support of all 15 council members.

Fatima has previously served as president of the UNICEF Executive Board, president of the UN Women Executive Board and vice-president of the Executive Board of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

By Aghakazim Guliyev