July 26, 2008	Saturday	Rajab 22, 1429

UNITED NATIONS, July 25: Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Munir Akram told reporters after a meeting with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon on Friday that he would be leaving Pakistan, has nominated Mr Abdullah Hussain Haroon as its next Permanent Representative and Mr Akram told Dawn that he had conveyed the news about his successor to Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon on Thursday.

Mr Akram’s most valuable service to Pakistan during his six-year term was to thwart a determined drive by the so-called G-4 — India, Japan, Germany and Brazil — to secure permanent membership of the Security Council.

He managed to secure support from a large number of developing countries, creating a so-called Uniting for Consensus group (UFC), which declared that most countries were against creating new spheres of influence.

During his term at the UN, Ambassador Akram occupied almost every important position, including president of the UN Security Council in May 2003 and again in May 2004; 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.

For the past 12 months, he has been heading the Islamic Conference Group of Ambassadors in New York.

An articulate orator, Mr Akram has fearlessly defended Pakistan’s national interests, especially on Kashmir, Afghanistan and the issue of terrorism.

He also staunchly defended the cause of the developing countries on international economic issues, advancing several initiatives and proposals and promoted the collective objectives of the Islamic countries, on such issues as Islamophobia and terrorism.