Multilateral Mastery: Shaping Global Perspectives Through Diplomacy

Rabab Fatima, F93

Two years into her work with the Foreign Service of Bangladesh, Rabab Fatima, F93 received a nomination and a scholarship to attend Fletcher. As a young diplomat from a developing country, she considered herself very fortunate and privileged to have been granted the opportunity. 

Although already a career diplomat, Rabab feels that specializing in a career of multilateral diplomacy was directly influenced by her experiences at Fletcher. She focused on courses that were interesting to her and would also be practical and relevant for her career and growth. The tailored courses and knowledge she gained continue to make an impact on her work in Bangladesh and at the United Nations. For instance, the discussions in her Laws of the Sea class proved very useful while representing her country in negotiations on maritime boundaries and territorial claims. 

Rabab considers the composition of Fletcher’s student body to be one of its greatest benefits. From members of royal families, military leaders, and diplomats to undergraduates fresh out of school from all different parts of the world, their backgrounds and experiences add to the rich conversations that happen at Fletcher.

Since graduating from Fletcher, Rabab has been an influential figure in global diplomacy, from Dhaka to New York, Geneva to Beijing, London, Thailand to Tokyo. She is currently the UN Under-Secretary General and High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (UN-OHRLLS), bringing to the post over 30 years of experience in bilateral and multilateral diplomacy, national and international policymaking, advocacy, and program planning and implementation. Before taking up her current position, she was the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the United Nations in New York. She chaired and led various important processes in that capacity, including being the first woman to serve as the Chairperson of the UN Peacebuilding Commission.  Since joining Bangladesh’s foreign service in 1989, Rabab has served in various capacities in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in Bangladesh’s missions abroad. She also served on lien in the Commonwealth Secretariat and the International Organization for Migration. 

Rabab has found the “Fletcher Club” to be constantly helpful and important in her diplomatic assignments in various capitals, when networking with diplomats, political leaders, foreign service officials, corporate leaders, and other stakeholders.

Additionally, she celebrates her Fletcher personal relationships even today and remains in touch with her roommate and friends who also work in international affairs. She recalls the struggles of weathering a snowstorm and blackout with friends who offered her respite, as well as her commencement where she and two of her friends who had never worn Saris before, all received their diplomas draped in the traditional Bangladeshi garb. Rabab observes that the connections and friendships that emerge are deeper than simply a shared Fletcher experience; they reach across cultural differences and are made for life.