Bruno Lemarquis, the new Deputy Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General in Afghanistan, arrived in Kabul on Tuesday and officially began his mission. The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) announced that he will be responsible for coordinating the activities of all UN agencies, funds, and programmes in Afghanistan.
On Tuesday, 26 Jawza, UNAMA issued a statement announcing that Bruno Lemarquis had officially started his work in Afghanistan. According to the statement, his appointment was made by the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres.
Bruno Lemarquis succeeds Indrika Ratwatte and has taken on the leadership of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan.
He previously served, from 2022 to 2026, as Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General in the United Nations peace mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, while also holding the role of Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator in that country.
Lemarquis has also worked in the United Nations Political Office in Haiti as Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Humanitarian Coordinator, and has held various responsibilities within the organization in different capacities.
He has also served with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as Deputy Director of the Crisis Bureau and has played roles in multiple missions related to crisis management and response.
Throughout his professional career, Bruno Lemarquis has undertaken assignments in Somalia, Haiti, Palestine, and Cambodia. Prior to joining the United Nations in 1992, he worked with an international non-governmental organization in Haiti and Ethiopia.
He holds a degree in tropical agricultural engineering from France and is fluent in French and English.
The United Nations Security Council has extended the mandate of UNAMA until June 2027.
Bruno Lemarquis assumes his responsibilities in Afghanistan at a time when the country continues to face one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises. Millions of people in Afghanistan live in poverty, and a significant portion of the population depends on humanitarian assistance to meet their basic needs.
Writer:Salima Aryaei
