Pakistan’s Ambassador, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, has sounded an alarm over a growing “crisis for multilateralism,” attributing it to the restriction of open dialogue and intellectual exchange in international diplomacy. She expressed grave concern that the diminishing space for constructive engagement is hampering the ability of states to find common ground on global challenges.
According to an official information today, the ambassador’s remarks were delivered during a panel discussion titled ‘Free Flow of ideas and advancing Human Rights: Lessons and Perspectives at UN80,’ held at UNESCO headquarters on the occasion of International Human Rights Day.
Ambassador Baloch underlined that the “free flow of ideas” serves as a foundation not only for democracies but also for effective international diplomacy. She articulated that the current dynamic, where nations struggle to engage constructively, is directly contributing to a significant impasse for global relations.
Speaking on the UN80 process, Baloch described it as an opportunity to modernize the United Nations” human rights machinery. However, she issued a strong caution that this process should not lead to a weakening of existing human rights mechanisms or a dilution of the progress achieved over the years.
The event, jointly organized by UNESCO and the European Union, was headlined by UNESCO Director-General Dr Khaled El-Enany and former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay.
Other distinguished participants on the panel included Ms. Anne Savinel-Barras, President of Amnesty International France; Professor Jan Wouters from the Institute for International Law at KU Leuven; and Thibaut Bruttin, the Director-General of Reporters sans Frontières (RSF).