Awa Dabo’s appointment as UN Deputy High Commissioner of Human Rights a ‘proud moment’ for The Gambia

Awa Dabo’s appointment as Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights is testament of her committed leadership in advancing human rights, peace, and development, and “a proud moment for The Gambia” as one of its own rises to one of the world’s most senior human rights roles, said the Ministry of Justice today. 

“We join well-wishers from near and far to wish Ms Dabo a successful tenure,” said the Ministry in an official statement this morning, celebrating the achievement, “and to assure her of the continued strong collaboration between the Government of The Gambia and the Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights.” 

Yesterday, the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General António Guterres announced Dabo’s appointment as Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights. 

She will succeed Nada Al Nashif, a Jordan economist and development practitioner who has served in the role since 2020. The UN Secretary-General, along with current High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk of Austria, acknowledged their deep gratitude for Nashif’s contributions to the organisation, “and particularly her dedicated stewardship during a period of exceptional challenges”, including the COVID-19 pandemic, financial crisis, and also for her committed leadership in advancing key UN management and partnership reform priorities.

Dabo, the new Deputy High Commissioner, is a prominent and respected human rights lawyer who began her UN career as a volunteer, and has held several senior positions within the UN, at country and headquarters levels, in human rights, crisis recovery, peacebuilding and prevention, humanitarian affairs, and development.

Most recently, Dabo served as Director and Deputy Head of the UN Peacebuilding and Peace Support Office (DDPA/DPO), where she has been leading and managing efforts to develop peacebuilding strategies and initiatives, and building a strong interface with internal and external partners. She has also served as Chief of Country Oversight and Support for the UNDP Regional Bureau for Africa, Senior Adviser and Head of the Crisis and Fragility Policy and Engagement Team for the Crisis Bureau of UNDP, Country Director for UNDP in Tanzania, and Regional Programme Manager and Team Leader at UNDP’s Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery. 

Dabo’s new role as Deputy High Commissioner of Human Rights will include regularly attending multilateral and bilateral fora; representing the High Commissioner with external parties including governments, UN organs, NGOs and others; engaging in policy development, and advising and assisting the High Commissioner, with particular focus on overseeing the areas of administration and management, planning, oversight and accountability, resource-mobilisation, communications, structural reform, performance evaluation and innovation.

Dabo also previously worked with other UN and non-UN entities, including the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), and the African Society of International and Comparative law - an international law NGO based in London. She holds an LLM in International Human Rights Law from the University of Nottingham and a BA in Law, Sociology and Social Anthropology from the University of Keele.