The Diplomatic Insight Magazine for August 2022
Editorial
August was quite an eventful month, mainly as Pakistan celebrated the diamond jubilee of its independence and 75 years of diplomatic ties with different nations this year. The day was celebrated with utmost national fervor, with the country’s Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, calling for a joint effort to make the country an economic powerhouse.
Independence Day was celebrated to make Pakistan a progressive nation. Apart from hosting various events across the country, a new and revamped National Anthem was released. As Pakistan stands at the crossroads of history, this gives us an opportune time to see where we stand as a nation.
Honest reflection, review, and analysis of the past 75 years, may help us all to consider a way forward in our national lives. Over all these years, the country survived three wars and the painful separation of its eastern wing. There were terrible days, and there were good days.
Although we have stayed, we have to see if Pakistan was able to create a prosperous society and a country that the generations can look up to.
Are we able to fulfill the dreams of our founding fathers for a welfare state for the citizens? And over the decades, we have been able to transform the country according to the goals and visions of our founding fathers. At this critical historical juncture, this is a reminder of the valiant sacrifices made by the ancestors for the eventual religious, economic, and socio-cultural independence of succeeding generations.
This year SCO is celebrating the 20th anniversary of the SCO Charter’s signing and the 15th anniversary of the Treaty on Long-term Good Neighborliness, Friendship, and Cooperation among SCO member states.
In a rundown towards the central SCO Summit scheduled to be held in September, the SCO Council of Foreign Ministers was hosted by the current Chairman of the organization Uzbekistan. Foreign Ministers from eight permanent members, four observer states, nine dialogue partners, and representatives from other countries and international organizations were present for this important summit.
The meeting put forward the roadmap and finalized several critical thresholds for the upcoming conference in September. The most significant development at the CFM meeting in Tashkent is the adoption of the Joint Statement on Strengthening the Biological Weapons Convention, a practical component to enforce the counter-proliferation of biological weapons and prevent their access to terror organizations for more comprehensive public safety.
The CFM further signed sixteen decisions while endorsing the cooperation in socio-economics, collective stance on global politics, financial structure, and challenges to SCO.
The summit was attended by delegates of the European Union, Russia, the United Kingdom, Japan, Iran, Pakistan, Central Asian Republics, and other stakeholders. Representatives from nearly thirty countries participated in a conference titled “Afghanistan: Security and Economic Development.”
Tashkent summit is not a stand-alone conference but makes a place in a series of dialogues on Afghan issues since the Taliban takeover and withdrawal of the US from Afghan soil. Tashkent has played a role of an elder brother to take the lead in building consensus amongst the stakeholders to resolve the humanitarian crisis and support Afghanistan’s development.
Like other immediate Afghan neighbors, Uzbekistan feels a range of non-traditional threats due to border proximity.
It is expected to raise the issue with significant stakeholders in a successful attempt.
The core of TDI and IPDS is young people who have the pontifical to play an essential role in building the capacities for the next generation of leaders. For this, IPDS organized the fourth International Young Diplomats School (IYDS).
This was a three-day activity from 16 to 18 August, during which the participants from different age ranges visited Embassies, High Commissions, or other representative offices and met with diplomats.
The young diplomats visited the missions of Romania, Iraq, Kyrgyzstan, Sri Lanka, Philippines, Palestine, Kazakhstan, Italy, Indonesia, the USA, and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). IYDS was established keeping in view the importance of diplomacy in the rapidly evolving, globally connected, and technologically advanced world. IYDS is a summer school that adheres to international standards.
IYDS also includes visits to diplomatic missions and briefing sessions at significant ministries. IYDS is designed to meet the needs of future leaders who have a strong interest in and professional experience in any field or career.
