Munir Akram ( ur, منير اکرم) (born 2 December 1945) is a Pakistani diplomat currently serving for the second time as Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the United Nations. He had previously held the post from 2002 to 2008, during which time he also served two terms as

President of the United Nations Security Council The presidency of the United Nations Security Council is responsible for leading the United Nations Security Council. It rotates among the 15 member-states of the council monthly. The head of the country's delegation is known as the President of t ...

. On 23 July 2020 Akram was elected

President of the United Nations Economic and Social Council The president of the United Nations Economic and Social Council is the presiding officer of that body. The position voted for by members of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) on a yearly basis. Election The Economic and ...

, serving from July 2020 to July 2021.

Career

Akram received a Bachelors degree in law from the

University of Karachi The University of Karachi ( sd, ; informally Karachi University, KU, or UoK) is a public research university located in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. Established in June 1951 by an act of Parliament and as a successor to the University of Sindh ...

, before studying for a Masters degree in political science at the same institution. He cleared the elite

Central Superior Services The Central Superior Services (CSS; or Civil Service) is a permanent elite civil service authority, and the civil service that is responsible for running the bureaucratic operations and government secretariats and directorates of the Cabinet o ...

examinations in 1968 to enter public service. After mandatory training, he formally joined the

Foreign Service of Pakistan The Foreign Service of Pakistan ( ur, ) is part of the Central Superior Services of Pakistan. It was formally created in October 1952, after having been an improvised organization since the creation and independence of Pakistan in 1947. Its ol ...

in 1969, his first posting being as second secretary at Pakistan's Permanent Mission to the United Nations. Later, in addition to holding various positions at the Foreign Ministry, he served in several important diplomatic missions, including as Pakistan's ambassador to Japan (1982–1985) and to the European Union (1988–1992). Akram served as Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the

United Nations Office at Geneva The United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG, french: Office des Nations Unies à Genève) in Geneva, Switzerland, is one of the four major offices of the United Nations where numerous different UN agencies have a joint presence. The main UNOG ...

from 1995 to 2002, before holding the same post in New York, where he served until 2008. He had reached superannuation in 2005, but was hired again on an extension contract. He was dismissed by the newly elected President,

Asif Ali Zardari Asif Ali Zardari ( ur, ; sd, ; born 26 July 1955) is a Pakistani politician who is the president of Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians and was the co-chairperson of Pakistan People's Party. He served as the 11th president of Pakist ...

, in 2008 because of his disagreement over presenting the case of the

assassination of Benazir Bhutto The assassination of Benazir Bhutto ( ur, بینظیر بھُٹو کا قتل) took place on 27 December 2007 in Rawalpindi, Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country ...

to the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoni ...

. He also served as

President of the Security Council The presidency of the United Nations Security Council is responsible for leading the United Nations Security Council. It rotates among the 15 member-states of the council monthly. The head of the country's delegation is known as the President of t ...

for two separate terms, in 2002 and 2004. On 30 September 2019 Akram was reappointed as Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York. Akram is also a regular columnist for Pakistan's leading English daily newspaper, ''

Dawn Dawn is the time that marks the beginning of twilight before sunrise. It is recognized by the appearance of indirect sunlight being scattered in Earth's atmosphere, when the centre of the Sun's disc has reached 18° below the observer's ...

''.

Charges of assault

In 2003 Akram's then live-in girlfriend, Marijana Mihic, called the police to report him for violent assault against her. Her report included charges of previous incidents of violence. While the

New York Police Department The New York City Police Department (NYPD), officially the City of New York Police Department, established on May 23, 1845, is the primary municipal law enforcement agency within the City of New York, the largest and one of the oldest in ...

did not arrest Akram owing to his

diplomatic immunity Diplomatic immunity is a principle of international law by which certain foreign government officials are recognized as having legal immunity from the jurisdiction of another country.

, the case was pursued by the

New York County District Attorney The New York County District Attorney, also known as the Manhattan District Attorney, is the elected district attorney for New York County (Manhattan), New York. The office is responsible for the prosecution of violations of New York state laws ...

Robert Morgenthau Robert Morris Morgenthau ( ; July 31, 1919July 21, 2019) was an American lawyer. From 1975 until his retirement in 2009, he was the District Attorney for New York County (the borough of Manhattan), having previously served as United States Attorn ...

, with the backing of Majorie Tiven, sister of the then

Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...

Michael Bloomberg Michael Rubens Bloomberg (born February 14, 1942) is an American businessman, politician, philanthropist, and author. He is the majority owner, co-founder and CEO of Bloomberg L.P. He was Mayor of New York City from 2002 to 2013, and was a c ...

. However, a month later, in February 2003, the District Attorney's office dropped the investigation.

Affiliations

Akram is an advisory board member of the

Counter Extremism Project The Counter Extremism Project (CEP) is a non-profit non-governmental organization that combats extremist groups "by pressuring financial support networks, countering the narrative of extremists and their online recruitment, and advocating for ...

. He is also a former board member of

Allis-Chalmers Energy Allis-Chalmers Energy Inc. is an American, Houston-based, oil company which provides both services and equipment to oil and natural gas companies throughout the Gulf of Mexico and in surrounding states and countries. History The name "Allis-Chal ...

, serving at the company between September 2008 and June 2009.

References

External links

Munir Akram CV at Pak Mission to UNMunir Akram CV at ECOSOC
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Akram, Munir 1945 births Living people Permanent Representatives of Pakistan to the United Nations University of Karachi alumni Ambassadors of Pakistan to the European Union Ambassadors of Pakistan to Belgium Ambassadors of Pakistan to Luxembourg People from Karachi Ambassadors of Pakistan to Japan