KATHMANDU: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Krishna Bahadur Mahara on Friday received the Letter of Credence from new Representative of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to Nepal, Lubna Baqi, at a ceremony at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

After presentation of the credentials, Baqi briefed the DPM Mahara on UNFPA cooperation activities in Nepal and highlighted the 7th UNFPA country program which is currently under implementation, said a press release issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In response, DPM underlined the need for continued cooperation of UNFPA in the days to come.

The UNFPA has been working in Nepal since 1971, with its current programs relating to sexual and reproductive health, adolescent and youth, gender equality, women's empowerment and population dynamics.

On the occasion, Baqi said she was honoured to represent the UN Population Fund in Nepal, that the UNFPA was ready to support the Nepal government’s efforts in promoting sexual and reproductive health and rights, gender equality and strengthening population data collection and analysis capacities in Nepal.

According to the UNFPA Nepal, Ms. Baqi took up her new assignment as UNFPA Representative Nepal on 3 October 2017. Before her deputation to Nepal, she served as Deputy Regional Director in UNFPA’s Asia and Pacific Office in Bangkok since 2011.

Prior to this, she was the Associate Director, UN Development Operations Coordination Office in New York (2007-2010), where she led the Programme Support and Global Quality Standards Team, responsible for promoting programme coherence and innovation under the UN development system.

Moreover, she was UNFPA Representative in Sri Lanka and Country Director in the Maldives (2003-2007), supporting the development and implementation of programme operations as well as the humanitarian response to the devastating 2004 Asian Tsunami.

She also served in Egypt as the acting UNFPA Representative and Deputy Representative (2001-2003).