December 2023, New York, United States - Amb. Shaukat Fareed, Permanent Observer of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean (PAM) to the UN in New York, held bilateral consultations with H.E. Mr. Dennis Francis, President of the UN General Assembly (UNGA).
On that important occasion, Amb. Fareed stressed the long-standing, close, and constructive cooperation between the UN, including the GA itself, and PAM, which has obtained the Status of Permanent Observer at the UNGA in 2009.
Since its inception, the Assembly has always been extremely committed to support the efforts of the UN Secretariat– namely, DPPA, DPO, OCHA, CTED, UNOCT, UNODC, Missions, Special Representatives and Envoys, and specialized Agencies and Programs, to work towards peace and reconciliation in the PAM regions, acting as a unique platform of dialogue and exchange through the instrument of parliamentary diplomacy.
As the international community stands at a crossroads, and a deeper divide on the international scene is manifesting having the potential to paralyze the multilateral mechanisms of global governance, parliamentarians play an even more important role to bring back at the center of discussions the universal values of common humanity that we all share.
This applies not only to the situation of war in the Middle East and the Russian aggression against Ukraine, but also when confronted with the challenges posed by climate change and environmental degradation, sustainable economy, migration flows, and the use of new and emerging technologies that should be for the benefit of all people in the world.
On previous occasions, PAM has taken on special missions at the direct request of the President of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), his in recognition of PAM's role as a responsive and trustworthy organisation within the international community..
During the meeting, Amb. Fareed provided the UNGA President with some inputs on the issues within the mandate of PAM, whose commitment to working together with the UN to forge a path to build a more secure, harmonious, and prosperous global community remains unwavering. //