Ms Nafisa Binte Shafique, the new UNICEF Gambia Representative, has presented her credentials to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Gambians Abroad, Dr. Momodou Tangara at the Foreign Ministry in Tuesday.
Ms. Shafique expressed deep gratitude to the Government of The Gambia for the “strong and instrumental support” it provides to UNICEF, especially in the development of the new UNICEF Country Programme Document (CPD 2024-2028).
She also informed the minister that the new CPD was developed in close collaboration with the Department of Strategic Policy and Delivery at the Office of the President and in consultation with different government ministries and institutions, civil society, and the public.
Ms. Shafique also congratulated the government on assuming the chair of the Peace and Security Council of the African Union Commission for December 2023 and for hosting the Ministerial and High-Level Retreat on the promotion and protection of the rights and welfare of children in situations of conflict in Africa in Banjul from 4-6 December.
She noted that this showed that The Gambia was a frontrunner for children’s rights in Africa and beyond.
Dr. Tangara welcomed Ms. Shafique to The Gambia and described her as the right person for the job due to her strong background in development.
He assured her of the government’s continuous support and collaboration, describing UNICEF’s work as noble.
“Working for children is working for the future,” he said.
Ms. Shafique is the Country Representative of UNICEF for The Gambia.
Before joining UNICEF Gambia Country Office on 1 December, 2023, Ms. Shafique served as UNICEF Chief of Field Office, Bihar, India, from December 2020 to November 2023.
Before that, she also served as UNICEF Chief of Field Office, Homs and Hama, Syria from 2016-2018 and as UNICEF Deputy Representative in Sudan (2018-2020) and Azerbaijan (2014-2016).
Ms. Shafique has a long experience of working in the humanitarian and development sector.
She started her UNICEF career as a national officer in Bangladesh 20 years ago and has since served the organization in different capacities, including as Chief of HIV and AIDS section in Kathmandu, Nepal, Chief of Adolescent Development and Participation in Kathmandu, Nepal, Head of Adolescent HIV Prevention in Lesotho, and Child Protection Officer (Adolescent Development) in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
She has also worked in other organizations, including UNFPA, and Expressions Ltd. (a leading social communication agency in Bangladesh), as well as national and international NGOs like Save the Children.
Her major areas of expertise are Adolescent Development and Participation, (ADAP), HIV and AIDS, Social and Behaviour Change, and Gender. Ms. Shafique is a citizen of Bangladesh and holds a master’s degree in Development Studies from the Institute of Social Studies, The Netherlands, as well as in Social Science from the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh
