On April 30, Rashed Mustafa Sarwar succeeded Arthur van Diesen as the UNICEF Representative to Kazakhstan, following accreditation by the local Foreign Ministry, QazMonitor reports citing the Fund’s press service.
New representative: Dr. Sarwar is a Bangladeshi national with an advanced medical education. He is proficient in three languages – Bangla, English, and Russian.
Building on the progress achieved by the country, I am looking forward to working with the Government, local authorities, civil society, and business partners. I am convinced that corporate partners have an important role to play in upholding the rights and interests of every child together with the Government and civil society.
Dr. Sarwar has over 22 years of experience with UNICEF. Before his appointment in Kazakhstan, he led UNICEF's North Caucasus Office, overseeing operations in five Russian federal subjects – Dagestan, Chechen Republic, North Ossetia, Ingushetia, and Kabardino-Balkaria. His responsibilities included strategic program development, performance monitoring, and stakeholder collaboration.
More recently, Dr. Sarwar managed UNICEF's Refugee Response operation in Poland for two years. He also served as UNICEF Representative to Malaysia and Special Representative to Brunei from 2020 to 2022. Earlier roles include UNICEF Representative to Belarus from 2015 to 2020, and UNICEF Deputy Representative to Azerbaijan.
UNICEF: A UN agency dedicated to aiding children globally, the United Nations Children's Fund operates in over 190 countries and territories. It supports programs for children's health, nutrition, education, and protection from violence. Funding for UNICEF comes entirely from voluntary contributions by individuals, companies, funds, and governments.