New York: Indo-Canadian Afshan Khan has been appointed Coordinator of the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement -- a country-driven initiative led by 65 nations and four Indian states to end all forms of malnutrition by 2030.

In her new role, Khan will lead the SUN Movement Secretariat, as well as coordinate the network of SUN Government Focal Points, the Movement’s stakeholders, and supporters, a UN statement said in February. She will work to ensure the execution of the SUN strategy at the global level by building partnerships, and galvanising engagement and commitment to end malnutrition in all its forms.

She will succeed Gerda Verburg of the Netherlands to whom UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed his gratitude for her efforts and dedication in leading the SUN Movement. Khan started her work for Unicef in Mozambique in 1989 and is currently serving as Regional Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia. During this period, she has been Director of Emergency Programmes, Director of Public-Sector Alliances and Resource Mobilisation, Associate Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa, and the Unicef Representative in Jamaica, the UN statement said.

She has field experience including assignments in Kenya, Mozambique, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Colombia. She has broad UN-wide expertise stemming from assignments with the Inter-Agency Standing Committee for Humanitarian Affairs (IASC) in Geneva, the Executive Office of the Secretary-General, and the UN Development Group.

Khan also has extensive knowledge of international civil society organisations, having served as the CEO of Women for Women International. Khan was born in India and has both Canadian and British citizenships. She holds a Master’s degree in Public Policy from the Johns Hopkins School for Advanced International Studies, and a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from McGill University.