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Irene Zubaida Khan, an internationally recognised human rights expert, has assumed office as Bangladesh’s new Permanent Representative to the United Nations.
Khan formally took charge after presenting her credentials to UN Secretary-General António Guterres at the UN headquarters in New York on Friday, local time.
With decades of international experience, Khan has worked extensively in human rights, international law, refugee protection, the rule of law and sustainable development. She has held senior positions at the United Nations and several other international organisations.
Since 2020, Khan has served as the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression. Earlier, she served as Secretary General of Amnesty International from 2001 to 2009, becoming the organisation’s first woman to hold the post.
From 2012 to 2019, she was Director-General of the International Development Law Organization (IDLO).
Khan also spent 21 years with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), where she held several senior positions, including Chief of Mission in India and Deputy Director of the Division of International Protection.
In recognition of her contributions to human rights and peace, Khan received the prestigious Sydney Peace Prize in 2006. She is also the author of The Unheard Truth: Poverty and Human Rights.
Khan studied law at the University of Manchester and Harvard Law School.
