WASHINGTON, March 7: Pakistan lost the chance to head a key UN agency — the International Fund for Agricultural Development — because of the wrong assessment of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Dawn learned from diplomatic sources.

In mid-2008, Pakistan nominated Mirza Qamar Baig, a 1968 batch civil servant, for the post. Mr Baig had previously headed the executive committee of a related UN agency, the Food and Agriculture Organisation.

In Pakistan, he had served as Chief Secretary Balochistan, Additional Chief Secretary Sindh, and in the Federal Government as Commerce Secretary.

He also served as Pakistan’s ambassador to Italy for four years and was a known figure in Rome, where IFAD has its headquarters.

For once, Pakistan acted early and announced its candidate more than six months before the election, which was held on Feb 18 this year.

IFAD’s presidency goes to different regions of the world in rotation for a three-year term, which is renewable for three more years. The last president was from Sweden.

Since FAO’s current president is from Africa, Asia had a better chance of capturing this important slot.

Other countries that put forth their candidates included Germany, Nigeria, India, Niger, Israel and Guatemala.

In January, IFAD invited all candidates to give presentation to its executive board for short-listing. Pakistan, Nigeria and Germany were short-listed.

Now the ball was in Pakistan’s court and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was asked to promote its candidate.

The ministry asked the Pakistani missions in Rome and Washington to prop up Mr Baig. In Washington, contacts were made at very high levels and Islamabad was informed that the US administration is likely to support Pakistan.

The embassy in Rome, however, sent a different report saying that Mr Baig was unlikely to win. The report claimed that Washington was already urging its allies to vote for Israel while European nations were going to vote for Germany.

But the report forgot to mention that France had already announced its support to Niger while Nordic countries had said they will not vote for Germany.

Acting upon this advice, Pakistan withdrew its candidate 24 hours before the election. The move annoyed those who had either committed or inclined to vote for Pakistan.

Finally, when the election was held on Feb 18, Israel got only one vote, its own. The United States did not support Israel while the Europeans votes were split between Niger and Germany.

Consequently, the election produced an unexpected result, giving the presidency of a prestigious UN agency to Nigeria’s Kanayo F. Nwanze — thanks to Islamabad’s wrong judgment.
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