UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday appointed Vanessa Frazier of Malta as his special representative for children and armed conflict.

Frazier succeeds Virginia Gamba of Argentina, to whom the secretary-general is "grateful for her dedicated service and commitment to the United Nations," according to a press release.

Frazier holds a doctorate honoris causa in humane letters from Luther College in the U.S. state of Iowa and a master's degree in diplomatic studies with major in international law from the University of Malta. She is fluent in Maltese, English and Italian.

The mandate was created by the UN General Assembly in December 1996 to strengthen the protection of children affected by armed conflict, raise awareness, promote the collection of information about the plight of children affected by war and foster international cooperation to improve their protection.