Pakistan Appoints UNESCO Delegate In Violation Of Merit: Report

Islamabad [Pakistan]: Pakistan has appointed a new deputy permanent delegate to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in Paris in violation of merit, Pakistan-based The Express Tribune reported.

A day before the end of its tenure in office, Pakistan’s previous government approved the appointment of a person as Pakistan’s deputy permanent delegate to UNESCO who was at 10th position in the written test and third in a panel of three, according to The Express Tribune report.

In a summary sent by the Ministry of Education to former Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the former PM chose a person who was not even among the top five candidates in a merit-based test carried out by the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), The Express Tribune reported citing official documents.

Sources revealed that after an interview conducted by a panel set up by the former Pakistan PM, the individual was pushed to third place to make her eligible for inclusion in a summary sent to the former Pakistan PM for approval, the report said.

The summary sent to former Pakistan PM on July 31 reads, “The Departmental Selection Committee conducted interviews of 12 candidates on 8th July this year and selected the panel of three officers, in order of merit, consisting of marks in written test and interview.”

In the order of merit, Pakistan’s Education Ministry had forwarded the names of Mansoor Ali Masood, currently serving in the economic affairs ministry, Saadiya Noori, posted as secretary customs FBR, and Lubna Said Ghias, also serving in the Economic Affairs Ministry.

Shehbaz Sharif had the discretion to choose any of the three persons. However, he did not follow the merit list. In the written test, there was a wide gap between the first and third candidates.

The top candidate secured 79.3 marks out of 100 while the one approved by Shehbaz Sharif had got 62.85 marks. Masood stood at the top spot in the written test while Ghias was at the 10th position, according to The Express Tribune report.

The position of deputy permanent delegate at the Embassy of Pakistan in France is important for ensuring Islamabad’s interest in UNESCO. The appointment has been made for a period of three years. Shehbaz Sharif approved the appointment a day before the dissolution of the National Assembly.

As many as 56 applications had been received and 42 candidates were found eligible as per eligibility criteria. LUMS was chosen through the departmental procurement committee to carry out the written test, held on May 21, 2023. The result of the test was announced on May 29. 12 candidates who passed the test and fulfilled the required criteria were called for interview by the Departmental Selection Committee.

Pakistan has not been able to fully use the UNESCO forum to its advantage in the past. Over the years, Pakistan could only arrange funding of USD 80,000 for projects in education, water quality, women empowerment, capacity building, training of staff at schools for the visually impaired, and the Centre of Excellence for Autism.

The deputy permanent delegate is responsible for liaison with the permanent delegations of member states based in UNESCO, Group of Non-aligned Countries, and Group of Asia and the Pacific Member States at UNESCO headquarters to highlight Pakistan’s point of view and safeguard national interest regarding election to the Executive Board, general conference and inter-governmental committees.

In addition, the deputy permanent delegate is responsible for liaising with the UNESCO Secretariat, field offices, and affiliated organizations for obtaining information regarding their proposed program activities and telling the Pakistan National Commission for UNESCO in advance of participation by Islamabad, The Express Tribune reported.

The delegate is also responsible for assisting the Secretary-General in the visit of UNESCO officials and other delegations to Pakistan, according to The Express Tribune report. The individual is responsible for covering the proceedings and work of UNESCO’s General Conference and Executive Board including all important matters during different sessions.