Pak UN envoy Munir Akram leaving post

Diplomats at the UN said Ambassador Akram’s departure from the UN will be noticed; both by his many friends and admirers as well as by those whose unequal ambitions were frustrated by his dominant presence. As the Russian Ambassador told FM Shah mehmood Qureshi during his recent visit to NY, “At the UN, you cannot ignore Ambassador Akram, if you want to”.

Under Ambassador Akram’s leadership, diplomats and experts pointed out that the Pakistan delegation at the UN has acquired pervasive influence in virtually every UN body, even the Security Council where Akram represented Pakistan during 2003 and 2004.

Despite the multiple problems faced by Pakistan and the Western media onslaught against it, no UN body has said anything critical about Pakistan.

During his long term at the UN, Ambassador Akram occupied almost every important position. He was twice the President of the Security Council in May 2003 and again in May 2004; President of the Economic and Social Council in 2005; Chairman of the Group of 77 and China (developing countries) in 2007; Facilitator on UN Administrative Reform in 2006. For the last 12 months, he also chaired the Islamic Conference Group of Ambassadors in New York.