Pakistan’s envoy, Munir Akram, holds a goodbye reception in New York.

Pakistan’s departing Ambassador to the United Nations, Munir Akram, had a well-attended goodbye event at his official house. The ceremony was attended by the heads of accredited diplomatic missions to the United Nations, top UN officials, influential people, and leading media.

Ambassador Akram, a well-known personality at the UN, will be succeeded by Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad as Pakistan’s permanent representative to the UN on April 1. On Friday, UN Security Council President Christina Markus Lassen of Denmark praised Ambassador Akram for his “cooperation and dedication” to the Council and the United Nations.

Before giving him the floor to make his final address to the 15-member Council, the president, Ambassador Lassen, stated, “Allow me to pay tribute to our dear colleague, Ambassador Munir Akram, on the completion of his tenure as Pakistan’s permanent representative to the United Nations.” She said, “I believe I speak for all of our colleagues when I say that we appreciate your collaboration and devotion to the work of the Security Council and the United Nations.

“We’ll all miss your wisdom, your wit and your warmth, so we wish you the very best in your future endeavors…” When calling on Ambassador Munir Akram to bid him farewell on March 11, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres complimented his “outstanding” contribution to global diplomacy. Ambassador Akram, for his part, thanked the UN for its assistance to the Pakistan Mission in advancing common goals. In 2019, he was appointed to his present position.

Ambassador Akram previously served as Pakistan’s ambassador in New York for six years, from 2002 to 2008, after seven years as Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva, 1995-2002. Between 1988 until 1992, Munir Akram served as Pakistan’s ambassador to the European Council, Belgium, and Luxemburg.

During his tenure at the United Nations, Ambassador Munir Akram was President of the Security Council twice, in May 2003 and May 2004; President of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) in 2005; Chairman of the Group of 77 and China (developing countries) in 2007, and UN Administrative Reform Facilitator in 2006. During his current tenure, Ambassador served as ECOSOC president and G-77 Chairman.

He was heavily active in the campaign for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council in 2025-26, which Pakistan won by an overwhelming majority. Pakistan received 182 votes in the 193-member General Assembly, greatly above the minimum 124 votes for a two-thirds majority. He served in a number of international organizations, including the UN Secretary General’s Advisory Board on Disarmament, the WTO Trade Policy Review Body, and the Conference on Disarmament.

Ambassador Akram entered Pakistan’s Foreign Service in 1967 and has held numerous posts in the Foreign Ministry, including Additional Foreign Secretary and Director-General for United Nations Affairs. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Law and a Master’s degree in Political Science from the University of Karachi. He is a prolific writer who has given lectures and written essays and papers on a variety of strategic, political, and economic subjects. The President of Pakistan bestowed the Hilal-i-Quaid-e-Azam Award on him in appreciation of his “selfless service and outstanding performance in the field of diplomacy and foreign policy”.