New York, 18 November 2021 (TDI): Pakistan was conferred the Presidency of UNECOSOC during the year 2020-21. Ambassador Munir Akram, the Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the UN, expressed that, “It has been an honor to serve as the President of ECOSOC”.
It has been an honor to serve as the President of ECOSOC. During Presidency,the challenges, which the PM🇵🇰 termed as”triple crisis”, crystallized awareness of the essential unity of humanity imperative of int’l economic cooperation,which ECOSOC mandated to pursue by UN Charter. https://t.co/sG36kbDYVU pic.twitter.com/yk8ii82YQ3
— Amb Munir Akram,Permanent Representative to the UN (@PakistanPR_UN) November 11, 2021
Pakistan’s Presidency of the UNECOSOC-Actions and Achievements
In his acceptance address, Ambassador Akram stated that UN Member States are confronted with three simultaneous challenges, which Pakistan termed as “triple crisis”: the coronavirus health and economic catastrophe, the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the existential threat of climate change.
While describing the period of Pakistan’s Presidency, Ambassador Akram remarked,
“Pakistan’s presidency of the economic and social council for the year 2020-21, has been the period when he international community faced the “perfect storm” of economic and development challenges. The experience of the past year has also crystallised awareness of the essential unity of humanity and imperative of international economic cooperation, which the ECOSOC is mandated to pursue by the UN Charter…in the ECOSOC Pakistan was able to respond with unique unity and solidarity to the multiple crises”.
The envoy proposed while accepting the Presidency then that in the coming year, ECOSOC should focus on:
- financing for Covid-19, SDGs and climate change goals,
- sustainable infrastructure investment, and
- application of advanced science and technology for development.
He said he would convene special meetings to advance action in these areas. Pakistan, in this regard achieved several milestones.
Pakistan’s ECOSOC Presidency- Timeline
- 1952-53 Ambassador Syed Amjad Ali
- 1957-58 Ambassador Mohammad Mir Khan
- 1975- 76 Ambassador Iqbal A. Akhund
- 1995-96 Ambassador Ahmed Kamal
- 2005-06 Ambassador Munir Akram
- 2020-21 Ambassador Munir Akram
Ambassador Munir Aram- Introduction
Ambassador Munir Akram was elected as the Economic and Social Council’s (ECOSOC) 76th President on July 23, 2020. Ambassador Akram is Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York at the moment. On November 1, 2019, Ambassador Akram was appointed as Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, with the title of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary.
Ambassador Munir Akram previously served as Pakistan’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York for six years, from 2002 to 2008, following serving for seven years in Geneva as Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations from 1995 to 2002.
Munir Akram served as Pakistan’s Ambassador to the European Council, Belgium, and Luxembourg from 1988 until 1992.
Ambassador Munir Akram served as President of the United Nations Security Council twice, in May 2003 and May 2004, as well as President of the Economic and Social Council in 2005, Chairman of the Group of 77 and China (developing countries) in 2007, and Facilitator on UN Administrative Reform in 2006.
He was a member of the UN Secretary-Advisory General’s Board on Disarmament, Chairman of the WTO Trade Policy Review Body, and President of the Conference on Disarmament, among other posts he held in other intergovernmental organisations (June 1996).
Ambassador Akram joined Pakistan’s Foreign Service in 1967 and has held different positions in the Foreign Ministry, including Additional Foreign Secretary and Director-General for United Nations Affairs.
The President of Pakistan awarded him the Hilal-i-Quaid-e-Azam Award in appreciation of his selfless dedication and remarkable performance in the field of diplomacy and foreign policy.
ECOSOC
The Economic and Social Council is at the heart of the United Nations system to advance the three dimensions of sustainable development – economic, social and environmental. It is the central platform for fostering debate and innovative thinking, forging consensus on ways forward, and coordinating efforts to achieve internationally agreed goals. It is also responsible for the follow-up to major UN conferences and summits.
The UN Charter established ECOSOC in 1945 as one of the six main organs of the United Nations. ECOSOC has 54 members, which are elected each year by the General Assembly for overlapping three-year terms. Seats on the council are allocated on the basis of geographical representation.
