UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, on Thursday, appointed Najat Maalla M’jid of Morocco as his Special Representative on Violence against Children.
Maalla M’jid, a trained pediatrician has “devoted her life, over the last three decades, to promoting and protecting the rights of children,” Guterres’ spokesperson said in a statement.
She was head of the Section of Pediatrics and Director of the Hay Hassani Mother and Child Hospital of Casablanca. She is also a member of the National Council of Human Rights (CNDH) and a founder of the Bayti Association.
From 2008 to 2014, Ms. M’jid served as UN Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography. She is also a consultant for national and international projects, strategies and policies related to the promotion and protection of children’s rights.
Maalla M’jid succeeds Portugal’s Marta Santos Pais, to whom the Secretary-General is “deeply grateful for her leadership and dedication during her tenure as first Special Representative on Violence against Children,” the spokesperson added.
HA/fss/abj/APA