NEW YORK: 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 Munir 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 endeavor ”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.
