PARIS      -    At the 216th session of the UNES­CO Executive Board, Ambassador and Permanent Delegate Asim Iftikhar highlighted Pakistan’s strong partnership with UNESCO and underscored the organisa­tion’s key priorities in promoting global peace and development through cooperation in educa­tion, science, and culture.

Ambassador Asim Iftikhar re­iterated Pakistan’s commitment to multilateralism and expressed the country’s deep dedication to working collaboratively with member states to advance a common agenda. Pakistan aims to make progress in education, strengthen its technological and scientific capabilities, and draw inspiration from its rich culture and heritage to promote inclusive development and prosperity.

In Pakistan’s post-2022 floods Resilient Recovery Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Framework, education, social protection, cul­ture and heritage, inclusion, and gender are identified as key stra­tegic objectives. Ambassador Asim Iftikhar emphasized the impor­tance of UNESCO’s pronounced and comprehensive response to incidents of racism and discrimi­nation, urging the organization to address these issues effectively. Furthermore, he stressed the need for an equal and non-selec­tive focus on crises and conflict situations, including those arising from foreign occupation. Such an approach, he argued, would en­hance the legitimacy and univer­sality of UNESCO’s actions.

The ambassador highlighted the significance of assessing pro­gram implementation accurately through objective analysis and employing appropriate tools and techniques. The impact of UNES­CO’s activities on the ground is of utmost importance to ensure their effectiveness and relevance. Am­bassador Asim Iftikhar announced Pakistan’s commitment to advo­cating for the inclusion of culture as a specific goal in the post-2030 development agenda. Addition­ally, Pakistan supports the alloca­tion of sufficient resources for the implementation of the SIDS (Small Island Developing States) Opera­tional Strategy. Pakistan will con­tinue to support the necessary re­forms and adaptations to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of UNESCO. Through its active en­gagement, Pakistan seeks to con­tribute to the organization’s ob­jectives and ensure its alignment with global peace, development, and cultural preservation.