Special Representative of the Secretary-General

Roza Otunbayeva

Roza Otunbayeva was appointed in September 2022 as the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan and Head of UNAMA.

Ms. Otunbayeva has more than 35 years of professional experience in leadership, diplomacy, civic engagement and international cooperation.

She served as President of the Kyrgyz Republic (2010-2011) and on three occasions as Foreign Minister, most recently as Acting Minister in 2005. She was a Member of Parliament (2007-2010) and served as Deputy Prime Minister of the Soviet Kyrgyz Republic (1986-89) and later in 1991. 

Ms. Otunbayeva has served as Ambassador of the Kyrgyz Republic to the United States of America and Canada (1992-1994) and to the United Kingdom (1997-2002).  From 1989 to 1991, she was President of the Soviet National Commission for UNESCO. 

Ms. Otunbayeva also served with the UN as Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General in the United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG) (2002-2004). She is a member of the UN Secretary-General's High-Level Advisory Board on Mediation and the Head of the Roza Otunbayeva Initiative Foundation in Kyrgyzstan. 

Ms. Otunbayeva holds a Doctorate in Philosophy from Moscow State University and a degree from the Philosophy Faculty of the Moscow State University. She is fluent in Kyrgyz, Russian and English. 

Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General (Political)

Georgette Gagnon

The UN Secretary-General appointed Georgette Gagnon as his new Deputy Special Representative (Political) for Afghanistan in September 2024.

Ms. Gagnon brings to the position more than 28 years of experience in supporting peacebuilding processes and leading strategic initiatives on human rights, humanitarian action and development in conflict and post-conflict settings.  Since 2021, Ms. Gagnon has served as Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Libya in the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) and Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Libya.

Prior to her service in UNSMIL, she worked as Director of Field Operations and Technical Cooperation in the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), where she led the work of the Office’s field presences globally.  From 2010 to 2015, Ms. Gagnon served as Director of Human Rights for UNAMA based in Kabul.  She also held positions of Director and Senior Adviser on protection of civilians, human rights and the rule of law with the United Nations, national governments and non-governmental organizations in Africa, Syria and the Balkans.

Ms. Gagnon holds a Bachelor of Laws from Osgoode Hall Law School-York University in Toronto, Canada, and a Master of Laws in International Human Rights Law from the University of Essex in the United Kingdom.
 

Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General (Humanitarian)

Indrika Ratwatte

Indrika Ratwatte was appointed as the Secretary-General's Deputy Special Representative (Development) for Afghanistan in November 2023.

He also serves as the Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator.

Mr. Ratwatte of Sri Lanka brings over 30 years of experience in humanitarian affairs and protection in complex and crisis settings, including over 14 years of working on Afghanistan and regional issues. He started his career with the United Nations in 1992, with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), and continued his career with the Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in 1993. His most recent positions have included Director of UNHCR’s Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific, where he previously also served as Deputy, and UNHCR’s Representative in Pakistan. He served with UNHCR as Deputy Representative in Tanzania and Pakistan, along with prior assignments in Thailand, Croatia, China, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. 

Mr. Ratwatte holds a Master’s Degree in International Affairs from Columbia University, United States, and a Bachelor’s Degree in English and Sociology from the University of Colombo, Sri Lanka.  He is also an Attorney-at-Law from Sri Lanka Law College.