UNHCR’s new Bangladesh Representative takes office

UNHCR’s new Bangladesh Representative takes office

Dhaka, Oct 10 - The UN Refugee Agency UNHCR has announced that Ms. Sumbul Rizvi has taken up her duties as its’s Representative in Bangladesh on Monday, after presenting her credentials to  Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen.

She has arrived  from UNHCR headquarters in Geneva after a successful tenure as the Principal Advisor on Internal Displacement to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

Ms. Rizvi has been appointed as the 12th UNHCR Representative in Bangladesh. Representing the High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, she will serve as the primary UNHCR liaison and partner for the government, humanitarian actors, civil society, and the refugee population. 

In 2018, Ms. Rizvi played a key role as the UN Coordinator in establishing an inter-agency response to the Rohingya refugee crisis in Cox’s Bazar.

Upon taking up her new assignment, she said "It's an honour and a privilege to assume my role as UNHCR's Representative in a nation celebrated for its profound humanitarian heart, sheltering close to a million refugees”.

“Rejoining efforts to provide assistance to, and find solutions for, Rohingya refugees fills me with enthusiasm. I aim to continue strengthening our close cooperation with the Bangladeshi authorities, humanitarian and civil society partners, working hand in hand with the government to ensure the wellbeing of Rohingya refugees and affected local communities", Ms Rizvi added.

In the coming weeks., she will meet government authorities, key humanitarian partners, refugees, and members of the host community 

Throughout her career, Ms. Rizvi has demonstrated a strong partnership approach, working closely with national and local stakeholders, particularly affected communities, as well as with the United Nations and international agencies, to address preparedness, emergencies, humanitarian response and supporting solutions.

An Indian national, Ms Rizvi brings more than 35 years of experience in human rights and humanitarian work and as litigating counsel in Indian courts, NGO advisor and with the United Nations. She has served with UNHCR in diverse operations including - Iraq, Afghanistan, and Darfur-Sudan. Ms Rizvi also established emergency response and humanitarian coordination mechanisms in Syria and Kyrgyzstan during the early stages of the conflict. 

She has also served as UNHCR’s Policy Adviser on Asylum and Migration during the Mediterranean crisis, working with the Global Migration Fora and on the Sustainable Development Goals. UNHCR press release.