UNITED NATIONS, Mar 23 (APP): Pakistan’s outgoing Ambassador to the United Nations, Munir Akram, gave a largely attended farewell reception at his official residence.
Heads of diplomatic missions accredited to the United Nations, senior UN officials, prominent citizens and senior journalists attended the event.
Ambassador Akram, a well known figure at the UN, will be replaced by Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad as permanent representative of Pakistan to the UN on April 1.
On Friday, the UN Security Council President, Christina Markus Lassen of Denmark, paid high tributes to Ambassador Akram for his “cooperation and dedication” to the work of the Council and the United Nations.
Before giving him the floor to make his last statement to the 15-member Council, Ambassador Lassen, the Council president, said, “Allow me to pay tribute to our dear colleague, Ambassador Munir Akram, on the completion of his tenure as permanent representative of Pakistan to the United Nations.”
She added, “I know I speak for all our colleagues when I say we thank you for your cooperation and your dedication to the work of the Security Council and the United Nations.
“We’ll all miss your wisdom, your wit and your warmth, so we wish you the very best in your future endeavors…”
On March 11, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also praised Ambassador Munir Akram’s “outstanding” contribution to multilateral diplomacy when he made his farewell call on him.
On his part, Ambassador Akram expressed gratitude for the UN’s support to the Pakistan Mission in promoting shared objectives. He was appointed to the current post in 2019.
Ambassador Akram previously served as Pakistan’s envoy in New York for six years between 2002 and 2008, after serving as Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva for seven years from 1995 to 2002. Between 1988-1992, Munir Akram was Pakistan’s Ambassador to the European Council, Belgium and Luxemburg.
During his term at the United Nations, Ambassador Munir Akram served twice as President of the Security Council in May 2003 and in May 2004; President of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) in 2005; Chairman of the Group of 77 and China (developing countries) in 2007, and Facilitator on UN Administrative Reform in 2006.
During his current term, Ambassador again served as ECOSOC president as well as G-77 Chairman.
He was deeply involved in the campaign for a 2025-26 non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council that Pakistan won with overwhelming majority. Pakistan garnered 182 votes in the 193-member General Assembly — far more than the required 124 votes representing a two-thirds majority.
Among the positions he held in various intergovernmental organizations were: Member of the UN Secretary General’s Advisory Board on Disarmament; Chairman of the WTO Trade Policy Review Body; President of the Conference on Disarmament (June 1996).
Ambassador Akram joined the Foreign Service of Pakistan in 1967, holding various positions in the Foreign Ministry as Additional Foreign Secretary and Director-General dealing with the United Nations.
He obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Law and a Master’s degree in Political Science from the University of Karachi. A prolific writer, he has lectured and published several articles and papers on various strategic, political and economic issues.
In recognition of his “selfless service and outstanding performance in the field of diplomacy and foreign policy”, he was conferred the Award of Hilal-i-Quaid-e-Azam by the President of Pakistan.