On 9 March, the Armenian government terminated the mandate of Marianne Clark-Hattingh as UNICEF’s Representative to Armenia under the argument that Clark-Hattingh’s implemented mandate in Armenia and her method of work was problematic and did not promote cooperation. 

A spokeswoman for the UNICEF office in Yerevan, Zara Sargsyan, denied media reports that Clark-Hattingh has “hastily” left Armenia. Sargsyan said that the UNICEF representative remains in the country and would continue to perform her duties until the appointment of her replacement. According to Sargsian, UNICEF has already named a new acting head of its Yerevan office and is now awaiting approval by the Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.  

The UNICEF official did not comment on reasons for the ministry’s dissatisfaction with Clark-Hattingh. “We have always known her as a highly competent and experienced specialist committed to her work,” she told the Armenian Radio Free Europe. The UNICEF headquarters in New York did not issue any statements on the extraordinary development.

A day earlier, the Mediaport Telegram channel reported that Clark-Hattingh was declared as persona non-grata by the government of Armenia for spying in favour of Azerbaijan and the United Kingdom. Armenia’s Prosecutor’s office argued that they did not have any information about Clark-Hattingh's alleged espionage for Azerbaijan while in office, but emphasised that they were looking into the allegations.