16 September 1997


Press Release
BIO/3107*
GA/AB/3161


ANWARUL KARIM CHOWDHURY OF BANGLADESH ELECTED CHAIRMAN OF FIFTH COMMITTEE

19970916
Biographical Note Anwarul Karim Chowdhury, who was today elected Chairman of the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary), has served as the Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the United Nations since September 1996.

Since then, he has served as Vice-President of the Economic and Social Council and led his country's delegation to the Council's substantive session in Geneva last July.

Before his appointment as Permanent Representative, Mr. Chowdhury was Secretary of the Executive Board of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in New York (1993-1996) and UNICEF Director for Japan, Australia and New Zealand (1990-1993).

Mr. Chowdhury was his country's Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations from 1980 to 1986. At that time, he served as Chairman of the UNICEF Executive Board (1985-1986) and of the Programme Committee of the Board (1983 and 1985). He represented Bangladesh at 14 regular General Assembly sessions. During his career, he has specialized in development issues and has been closely involved in international economic and social issues, representing his country at various multilateral forums.

At the Bangladesh Foreign Ministry, Mr. Chowdhury was Director-General responsible for multilateral economic cooperation (1986-1990) and Director- General for South and South-East Asia (1979-1980). In 1974, he was closely involved with the negotiations that secured Security Council approval of Bangladesh's entry into the United Nations.

The Committee Chairman was also President of the 1984 Pledging Conference of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP); Vice-Chairman of the 1984 International Conference on Population; Vice-Chairman of the Committee for Programme and Coordination

_----------_ * This supersedes Press Release BIO/3045 of 19 September.

- 2 - Press Release BIO/3107* GA/AB/3161 16 September 1997

(CPC) in 1985 and 1986; and Chairman of the Committee on Negotiations with Intergovernmental Agencies, which addressed converting the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) into a specialized agency of the United Nations (1985).

A holder of a Masters degree, with honours, in Contemporary History, from the University of Dhaka, Mr. Chowdhury is a regular contributor to journals on development and human rights issues.

Born on 5 February 1943, he is married and has three children.

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