New UNICEF Representative in Bangladesh
Dhaka, October 6, 2005: Mr. Louis-Georges Arsenault today assumes responsibility as the UNICEF Representative in Bangladesh. Mr. Arsenault brings with him 28 years of experience in the social development sector, much of which was gained in Asia and Africa. He has championed a range of causes for children and women throughout his career. Prior to his arrival, Mr. Arsenault was the Deputy Director, Programme Division in UNICEF New York where he provided leadership in the organization’s efforts in developing a new Medium-Term Strategic Plan (2006-2009). Mr. Arsenault earlier served as the UNICEF Representative in Cambodia from 1998 to 2001 where he was a leading advocate to prevent trafficking and sexual exploitation of children that led to the formulation of a national law. As UNICEF Representative in Afghanistan from 2001 to 2003, Mr. Arsenault managed one of UNICEF’s largest humanitarian operations, including the coordination of relief and rehabilitation services to over 250,000 women, children and men displaced by war. He lobbied against the recruitment of children as soldiers, and despite the Taliban’s edicts against girls’ education and women’s right to employment, initiated several projects to provide employment opportunities for women and education for girls. Mr. Arsenault joined UNICEF in Mali in 1995. Prior to joining UNICEF, Mr. Arsenault worked for the Canadian University Services Overseas (CUSO) as Regional Director for West Africa based in Togo. CUSO worked to strengthen the capacity of local organizations and NGOs with a focus on Gender Equity and Human Rights. In the mid-eighties Mr. Arsenault was Director of the CIDA-supported bilateral project on Integrated Water Supply and Sanitation, covering the maritime region of Togo. During his tenure, water supply coverage rose from 25 to 75 per cent and immunisation coverage rose from 7 to 70 per cent. Preceding that, Mr. Arsenault worked with another Canadian NGO, Canada World Youth, which promoted non-formal education for young children, with a focus on international cooperation through youth exchange and community based development in Senegal and Morocco. In the late seventies, he served as a volunteer with SUCO, a Quebec based Canadian NGO in Upper Volta, in a community-led integrated development project. Louis-Georges Arsenault is a national of Canada, he has a post-graduate degree in International Public Administration from the l’Ecole Nationale d Admistration Puplique de Montreal in Canada.
Kirsty McIvor,
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