UNITED NATIONS, May 30 (Xinhua) -- United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday announced the appointment of Najat Maalla M'jid of Morocco as his special representative on violence against children at the level of assistant secretary-general.
M'jid will succeed Marta Santos Pais of Portugal, to whom the secretary-general is deeply grateful for her leadership and dedicated commitment during her tenure as the first special representative on violence against children, according to a press note from the UN chief's office.
M'jid, a medical doctor in paediatrics, has over the last three decades devoted her life to the promotion and protection of children's rights. She was head of the Paediatric Department and director of the Hay Hassani Mother-Child hospital in Casablanca. From 2008 to 2014, she served as UN Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography.
M'jid holds a doctorate in general medicine from the University of Rabat, a specialization in paediatrics and neonatology from the University of Bordeaux II and a master's of human rights from the Human Rights Institute, Geneva. She is the recipient of numerous awards and honors for her strong commitment to protecting the rights of the child, according to the press note.
