Pakistan elected to three key UN bodies

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has been elected to three key United Nations bodies, reflecting the international community’s recognition of the country’s positive role at the UN, the Foreign Office said on Wednesday.

The bodies are: the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ), the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) and the Commission on Population and Development (CPD).

The elections took place on Tuesday at a session of the 54-member Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), the economic arm of the UN.

Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Munir Akram, termed on Twitter Pakistan’s election to the three UN bodies a “strong vote of trust and confidence by the international community on Pakistan’s role at the UN”.

This is the sixth time Pakistan has been elected to the CCPCJ. Others elected to the panel comprised Qatar, Thailand, India, and Bahrain.

Pakistan triumphed with 50 out of 53 votes in the election for the membership of CSW. Also elected were China, Iran, Japan, and Lebanon.

Pakistan last served CSW, which is dedicated to the promotion of gender equality empowerment of women, from 2013 to 2017. Its election to this body is considered to be recognition of its role in promoting gender mainstreaming and advancement of women at the national and international level.

Pakistan will assume membership of the three commissions on January 1, 2022. According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Pakistan’s simultaneous election to these three important commissions is a reflection of the international community’s confidence in Pakistan’s active role and constructive contributions at the UN.

Through its membership of these commissions, in line with their respective mandates and Pakistan’s commitment to cooperative multilateralism, Pakistan will continue to foster international cooperation for combating transnational organised crime and improving efficiency and fairness of criminal justice administration systems; promote gender equality and women empowerment; and support initiatives aimed at assisting countries in developing their capacity to produce and analyse population data and information.