DHAKA: Edouard Beigbeder assumed his duties on Wednesday as the new United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Representative in Bangladesh, says a media release.

As the new UNICEF Representative, Beigbeder presented his credentials to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali, MP at his office in Dhaka, the release added.

He re-affirmed UNICEF’s continued support to the Government of Bangladesh, so that every child reaches their full potential.

As a development and emergency specialist, Beigbeder has over 20 years of experience of working to further children’s and women’s rights around the world.

Prior to his arrival in Bangladesh, Beigbeder was UNICEF’s Representative in Haiti from June 2012 to November 2014 where he was responsible for UNICEF’s strategic direction in the country.

Before that, Beigbeder was responsible for the management of UNICEF’s 13 field offices in India from 2009 to 2012. Following the tsunami in 2004, he coordinated and implemented UNICEF’s programmes as Chief of Field Office in Aceh and Nias, Indonesia. 
He has experience in policy advocacy and headed the advocacy unit of Action Against Hunger in Paris, France. Also, in France, from February 2001 to June 2004, Beigbeder was the Deputy Director for Human Resources Management of Altran, a global provider of innovation and high-tech engineering services.

He brings with him many years of experience of coordinating humanitarian assistance in various emergency situations as a Programme Officer from 1995 to 2000. During this time, he assisted the implementation of the organisation’s emergency response in Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Somalia and UNICEF’s Regional Office for Eastern and Southern Africa.

Mr. Beigbeder, a national of France, was awarded a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management in 1991 and a Master’s degree in Organization and Management of Production in 1992 both from institutions in Paris, France.

BDST: 1700 HRS, DEC 10, 2014