New UNICEF Representative appointed in Kazakhstan

Dr. Rashed Mustafa Sarwar has worked for over 25 years in Central Asia, the Caucasus, Europe, and Southeast Asia within the UN system, including 18 years with UNICEF.

"It is my great pleasure to join UNICEF team in Kazakhstan in such a significant year, celebrating the 30th anniversary of the ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Child by the Government of Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan has made impressive progress in protecting children’s rights and we would like to continue ongoing partnership to fulfill the dreams of every child,” said Dr. Rashed Sarwar.

He emphasized: “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”.

Before his appointment in Kazakhstan, Dr. Rashed led the UNICEF Refugee Response operation in Poland for two years. From 2020 to 2022, he has served as the UNICEF Representative to Malaysia and Special Representative to Brunei Darussalam. From 2015 to 2020, he was the UNICEF Representative to the Republic of Belarus, and earlier, he worked as the UNICEF Deputy Representative to Azerbaijan.

Prior to his work in Azerbaijan, Dr. Rashed Sarwar served as Chief of the UNICEF Office for North Caucasus, overall responsible for the UNICEF's work in five Caucasus republics, Russian federal subjects: Dagestan, Chechen Republic, North Ossetia, Ingushetia, and Kabardino-Balkaria. In all these positions, he provided overall leadership and management of UNICEF's programming, including the development of priority program strategies, monitoring of compliance and performance standards, coordination with international, governmental, and civil society organizations, as well as collaboration with the business sector.

Dr. Sarwar is a national of the People's Republic of Bangladesh. He has an advanced medical educational background. He speaks three languages fluently: Bangla, English, and Russian. He is married and has two children.

UNICEF works to ensure the rights and well-being of every child. UNICEF operates in more than 190 countries and territories. UNICEF supports programs that ensure children's health and nutrition, provide quality education to all boys and girls, and protect children from violence. UNICEF's work is funded solely by voluntary contributions from individuals, companies, funds, and governments.