Forty-four year-old Bangladeshi Irene Zubaida Khan has become the first woman and Asian to head the international human rights watchdog, Amnesty International.
She formally replaced Pierre San, who was Secretary General for 10 years on August 17 at the opening ceremony of the International Council Meeting in Dakar, Senegal.
The bi-annual conference brings together 500 members of Amnesty International to decide on future plans and to address the changing face of human rights work.
Khan who is an expert in public law, international law and human rights law after studies at the University of Manchester, England and at Harvard Law School becomes the seventh Secretary General to serve in the organisation's 40-year history.
Khan who is also Muslim joins the London-based Amnesty International from the United Nations High Commission for Refugees with which she worked for 21 years.
3 Sep 2001
first asian, woman to head amnesty int'l
Amnesty International, the human rights watchdog will now be led by an Asian Muslim woman for the first time in its 40-year history.