United Nations Day to be observed today

Elected 7 times as a member of SC, Pakistan has been a leading contributor to UN peacekeeping contingents

ISLAMABAD:

 

Pakistan officially joined the United Nations (UN) on 30 September 1947 just over a month after it came into existence and attaches great importance to international cooperation through this organisation.

The country will observe the 76th anniversary of the United Nations on Monday (today) observed on October 24 every year as UN Day to commemorate its official creation.

In more than one aspect, Pakistan stands out for its novel contributions and unparalleled services to the UN.

Pakistan fully adheres to its pristine principles of promoting peace and prosperity, fighting hunger and disease, promoting literacy and helping nations in times of natural or man-made disasters.

Pakistan also happens to be the first country to deploy women troops in Congo on June19,  2019.

Pakistan has been elected seven times as a member of the Security Council and has been a leading contributor to UN peacekeeping contingents. Pakistani missions in New York and Geneva have been consistently active at the multilateral level.

It is also one of the countries which have had a diplomat, Muhammad Zafarullah Khan, serve a term as the President of the United Nations General Assembly.

Pakistan has participated in 48 joint missions with more than 229 thousand forces in 29 countries. Over 171 soldiers of the Pakistan Army, including 24 officers, have sacrificed their lives in the United Nations peace missions.

Along with providing peacekeeping troops, Pakistan also participates in mental training, strategy and training of UN peacekeeping forces. About 2719 persons including 381 foreign representatives have received special training from CIPS for service in peace missions.

‘A love affair’

The extraordinary services contributed by Pakistan have been acknowledged by successive presidents of the intergovernmental organisation.
During his visit to the country last year, Antonio Guterres, United Nations Secretary-General, said he has had a ‘love relationship’ with Pakistan and its people,

He regretted the unfair portrayal of Pakistan in the past. He recalled visiting Pakistan as the commissioner for Afghan refugees and his interaction with the ‘the noble and generous people of Pakistan’.

‘Pakistan is number one’

In 2013, Ban Ki-Moon, the eighth Secretary-General of the United Nations, told an audience at the inauguration of the Centre for International Peace and Stability in Islamabad that he was overwhelmed with gratitude: “gratitude as the United Nations Secretary-General and gratitude as a global citizen for what Pakistan and her people have been doing for international peace and security.

“More than 100 countries contribute troops and police for United Nations peacekeeping missions. Pakistan is number one,” he stated, adding that is impossible to speak about the history of UN peacekeeping without highlighting the country’s contributions.

NA speaker lauds UN’s role

Meanwhile, National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf and Deputy Speaker Zahid Akram Durrani on Sunday applauded the key important role of the United Nations (UN) in the establishment of peace around the world.

NA Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf said that at present the world is facing major crises like hunger, poverty, climate change and emerging conflicts on different borders, adding that the intergovernmental organization was playing an important role in dealing with crises like climate change.

He appreciated the visit of UN President Antonio Guterres to the recent flood-affected areas in Pakistan and his initiative to appeal for assistance to Pakistan from the world. He lauded it for playing an important role in dealing with flood disasters in Pakistan.