UNITED NATIONS, Dec 10: Ms Shamshad Akhtar of Pakistan was appointed as the Executive Secretary, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), by UN Secretary-General Ban Kimoon on Tuesday.

She will replace Noeleen Heyzer of Singapore to whom the Secretary-General expressed his gratitude for her outstanding dedication and commitment to ESCAP and the Asia Pacific Region at large, a press statement released here said.Ms Akhtar, who has been serving since 2012 as the Secretary-General`s Senior Advisor on Economic Development and Finance and Assistant SecretaryGeneral, Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), brings to the position over 30 years of broad experience as a seasoned economist with an impressive track record of policy-making and implementation in the economic, development and finance fields both at the country and regional level.

Ms Akhtar also served as Governor of the State Bank of Pakistan.