UNITED NATIONS : UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday named a senior international official from Bangladesh, Rabab Fatima, as the new head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, or UNAMA.

A career diplomat who served in several capitals before representing her country at the United Nations, Fatima is currently the global body's high representative for the least developed countries, landlocked developing countries and small developing states.

"Ms. Fatima brings to the position over 30 years of experience in national and international civil service, encompassing bilateral and multilateral diplomacy, policymaking, advocacy, program planning and implementation," the office of Guterres's spokesman said in a statement.

She takes over from Canadian Georgette Gagnon, the deputy special representative of UNAMA who had been serving as acting head of mission.

UNAMA was established in 2002. Since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021, the mission has played a central role in coordinating humanitarian aid, facilitating political dialogue and monitoring human rights in the country.

Its mandate was renewed for one year in June by the UN Security Council despite reservations from the United States regarding its objectives and methods.