UN Secretary General António Guterres Thursday appointed Moroccan international officer Najat Rochdi Deputy Special Representative for the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA).
Ms. Rochdi will also serve as United Nations Resident Coordinator, Humanitarian Coordinator and Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), a statement from the UN Chief’s office said.
She is taking over from Fabrizio Hochschild of Chile, who was appointed Assistant Secretary-General for Strategic Coordination in the Executive Office of the Secretary-General in January 2017.
Born in 1961, Ms Rochdi joined the UN system in 2001. She occupied several positions including political adviser at UNDP’s regional bureau for Arab States, in New York. She also served as Deputy Director in charge of Policy, Communication and Operation in the UNDP Geneva Liaison Office and as UNDP Regional Coordinator of Information and Communication Technology for Development in the Arab Region in Cairo, Egypt, the statement said.
Before her new appointment, Ms Rochdi has been serving as the United Nations Resident Coordinator, Humanitarian Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in Cameroon since 2013.
The 56-year old woman holds a PhD degree in in mathematics and engineering in computer sciences from the National Institute of Statistics and Applied Economics (INSEA) in Rabat and the University of Montreal, Canada.
Prior to her rich career in the UN system; she held important positions in her country, including Deputy Minister of Small and Medium Enterprises and adviser to the Prime Minister.
