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UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday appointed Toby Lanzer of the United Kingdom as his deputy special representative for Afghanistan, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters.
Lanzer is to serve as the deputy head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), which is a political UN mission established at the request of the Afghan government to assist it and the people of Afghanistan in laying the foundations for sustainable peace and development, Dujarric said at a daily news briefing here.
He succeeds Mark Bowden of the United Kingdom, who will complete his assignment at the end of February 2017, the spokesman said.
"The secretary-general is grateful for Mr. Bowden's dedicated service in Afghanistan," Dujarric said.
Lanzer brings significant experience in development, humanitarian affairs and peacekeeping. His most recent positions have included Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the Sahel and before that he was Deputy Special Representative in the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).
