Irene Khan Takes Charge as Bangladesh’s Permanent Representative to the UN

Internationally recognized human rights figure Irene Zubaida Khan has assumed office as Bangladesh’s new Permanent Representative to the United Nations. On Friday local time, She presented her credentials to UN Secretary-General António Guterres at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, formally taking charge as Bangladesh’s Permanent Representative to the UN.

Irene Khan brings decades of international experience in human rights, international law, refugee protection, the rule of law and sustainable development. Throughout her career, she has held key positions at the United Nations and various international organizations.

Since 2020, she has served as the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression. Earlier, from 2001 to 2009, she served as Secretary General of Amnesty International, becoming the first woman to lead the organization in its history.
From 2012 to 2019, she served as Director-General of the International Development Law Organization (IDLO). Before that, she spent 21 years with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), where she held several senior positions, including Chief of Mission in India and Deputy Director of the Division of International Protection.

In recognition of her contributions to human rights and peacebuilding, she was awarded the prestigious Sydney Peace Prize in 2006. She is the author of The Unheard Truth: Poverty and Human Rights. She received her higher education in law at the University of Manchester and Harvard Law School.