Function arranged at Peshawar varsity to mark UN Day

PESHAWAR: The Department of International Relations, University of Peshawar, arranged a function at the Area Studies Centre to commemorate the United Nations Day.

The event was a product of the collaboration between the International Relations Students Association and The Mosaic Team, and at the inter-departmental level among the Department of IR, Department of Political Science, Department of History, and Department of Journalism and Mass Communication.

Chairman of the Department of IR and Editor-in-Chief of the Mosaic Journal and Newsletter, Dr Hussain Shaheed Soherwordi, Dr Sami Raza from Department of IR, Dr Irfan Ashraf from the Department of Journalism, Dr Abida Bano from the Department of Peace and Conflict Prof Syed Waqar Ali Shah were the panellists for the debate.

The panellist spoke about the United Nations as an organisation, emphasised its relevance as a platform for peaceful resolution of contemporary conflicts, including the Israel-Palestine conflict.

Sami Raza talked of the UN’s relevance with regard to China as a rising hegemon. Irfan Ashraf pressed upon the importance of the UN, pointing out that failure of the functional aspect of the organisation will lead to violence in current conflict around the world.

Dr Soherwordi mentioned the threat to the Westphalian order under the prevailing dynamics of the current international system.

Dr Bano pinpointed the peaceful, diplomatic framework of the UN as the best available escalation control mechanism.

Syed Waqar pointed to the fact that the UN was created in response to the indiscriminate killings in the Second World War and now is facing a major challenge with the Israel-Palestine conflict in the Middle East with increased destructive weapons and lack of dialogue.

Digital Newsletter of the department of International Relations’ magazine, Mosaic was also launched on the occasion. Representative from UNHCR, Kofi Ohenenon Dwomo was the guest of honour on the occasion.He pointed out that the UN was not just a collection of states but the collection of ideals of peace, justice, equality and solidarity.