Updated 16:10
US President Donald Trump has accepted the resignation of his ambassador to the UN.
Ambassador Nikki Haley announced the decision during a meeting the US President at the White House this afternoon.
Big announcement with my friend Ambassador Nikki Haley in the Oval Office at 10:30am.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 9, 2018
Ms Haley, who has held the post since November 2016, will be leaving the role at the end of the year.
President Trump called her a "very special person" and added that she told him six months ago that she wanted to take some time off.
The president said he hoped she could come back to his administration in another capacity.
Last month, Ms Haley wrote an article in the Washington Post in which she discussed her policy disagreements but also her pride in working for Mr Trump.
She wrote: "I proudly serve in this administration, and I enthusiastically support most of its decisions and the direction it is taking the country.
"But I don't agree with the president on everything."
Ms Haley had served as the first female governor of South Carolina before she was appointed to the UN ambassador role.
She was an outspoken critic of Mr Trump during his 2016 presidential campaign - a stance that effectively disqualified other candidates for top administration positions.
Ms Haley said it had been the "honour of a lifetime" serving as UN Ambassador.
“It was a blessing to go into the U.N. with body armor every day and defend America,” she said.
“I’ll never truly step aside from fighting for our country. But I will tell you that I think it’s time.”
