Sara Beysolow Nyanti has been appointed the new United Nations Resident Coordinator in Nepal.

Nyanti, 52, from Liberia had been serving as representative of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Yemen before her appointment in Nepal, according to a statement issued by the United Nations in Nepal.

“I am truly delighted to start my tenure as the UN resident coordinator in Nepal. This is a crucial time for the UN and the government as it relates to containing the Covid-19 pandemic and ensuring a coordinated response that is not only medical but addresses the socio-economic challenges as well,” the statement quoted Nyanti as saying on her new assignment. “I am committed to our joined-up efforts to provide immediate and effective humanitarian support to Nepal in relation to not only the COVID 19 response, but to an overall effective emergency preparedness and response system.”

Nyanti succeeds Valerie Julliand who completed her four-year tenure as the UN resident coordinator in Nepal in September last year.

Nyanti presented her credentials to Minister of Foreign Affairs Pradeep Gyawali on Tuesday.

According to the UN statement, Nyanti has more than 20 years of experience in development and humanitarian work. Before her last assignment in Yemen as a representative of the United Nations Children’s Fund, she held a similar position in the Gambia, the UN said.

Prior to joining the United Nations, Nyanti worked as her country’s director of the National AIDS Control Programme in the health ministry.

“On behalf of the UN in Nepal, I express my commitment to support the government of Nepal and the stakeholders in pushing the envelope to build back not only better, but greener, and differently,” said Nyanti. “Nepal’s aspiration of graduation from being a least developed country is one that the UN shares, and our support in this area will remain a priority.”

The UN resident coordinator is the highest-ranking representative of the UN development system at the country level. The resident coordinator is the designated representative of the UN secretary-general and is the head of the United Nations system’s operational activities in the country.

“With the Sustainable Development Goals at the heart of everything we do, I would like to reiterate the UN in Nepal’s focus on internalising the SDGs for stronger engagement with provincial and local governments in order to achieve the global agenda with a focus on gender equality,” she said.