United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres announced on 9 June 2022 the appointment of Rabab Fatima of Bangladesh as High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (UN-OHRLLS).? She succeeds Courtenay Rattray of Jamaica who was appointed as the Chef de Cabinet. ?
The Secretary-General wishes to extend his appreciation and gratitude to Heidi Schroderus-Fox of Finland, who is the Deputy to the High Representative and Director of?UN-OHRLLS, for her dedication and commitment as Acting High Representative.?
Ms. Fatima brings to the position more than 30 years of experience in national and international Civil Service, encompassing bilateral and multilateral diplomacy, policy-making, advocacy, programme planning and implementation. ?
She is the current Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the United Nations in New York.? Prior to this position, she was the Ambassador of Bangladesh to Japan (2016-2019), Director-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bangladesh (2015-2016), Regional Representative for South Asia (2007-2011) and Regional Adviser for South and Southwest Asia and Regional Adviser for Climate Change and Migration (2012-2015) of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Geneva and Head of Human Rights at the Commonwealth Secretariat, London (2006-2007).?
Ms. Fatima joined her country’s Diplomatic Service in 1989 and served in various capacities in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in Bangladesh Missions in New York, Kolkata, Geneva and Beijing.?
She holds a master’s degree in International Relations and Diplomacy from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University and a Bachelor’s degree in Social Science from the University of Canberra, Australia.?
?
