“Public Diplomat Award” conferred to two Pakistanis

By Mehwish Ashraf Last updated Dec 15, 2022

(Middle) The Ambassador of Uzbekistan to Pakistan presenting award to Farhat Asif, the founder and president of the Institute of Peace and Diplomatic Studies (L), and Muhammad Asif Noor, Editor in Chief of The Diplomatic Insight and Global News Pakistan (R).

(Press release)

Tashkent, 11 November 2022 (GNP/ TDI): According to a decision made by the Coordinating Council of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s Center for Public Diplomacy in Uzbekistan, which is part of the Uzbek government’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, two Pakistanis have received the “Public Diplomat Award.”

Farhat Asif, the founder and president of the Institute of Peace and Diplomatic Studies, and Muhammad Asif Noor, the secretary general of the Pakistan-SCO Friendship Forum, received this special honour for fostering human connections via commerce, media, and culture.

An autonomous, non-governmental, not-for-profit think tank for public diplomacy and advocacy called the Institute of Peace and Diplomatic Studies (IPDS) was founded in Pakistan in June 2014.

The purpose of the Pakistan-Shanghai Cooperation Organization Friendship Forum (PSCOFF) is to foster relations between the various ethnic and racial communities that make up the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member nations.

The primary focus of PSCOFF is on the Nine E’s, i.e., education, energy, economy, empowerment, entrepreneurship, expedition, employment, entertainment (print and electronic media), and environment, to explore the possibilities of developing strong ties within the SCO member countries and benefiting Pakistan and its citizens through “Connecting People and Providing Opportunities.” This is done while keeping in mind Pakistan’s presence.

The objective is also to increase public awareness of the SCO’s potential in Pakistan and work with other SCO member states to collectively address the problems facing the communities they represent. The PakSCO Business Council, the SCO Studies Diploma, and the Workshop on Exploring Business Opportunities in the SCO Region are recent efforts.

These honours were given to Ms. Farhat Asif and Muhammad Asif Noor at a solemn ceremony conducted in Islamabad by Arif Usmanov, the Uzbek ambassador to Pakistan, in recognition of their exceptional public diplomacy contributions to the nations in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization area.

Public Diplomat Award

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Government of Uzbekistan, in collaboration with the Center for Public Diplomacy of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, founded the Public Diplomat Award.

The Award is a high-level recognition for fostering mutual trust, interethnic and interreligious harmony, civilizational dialogue, expanding cultural and humanitarian ties between member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and promoting friendly cooperation between institutions of civil society, including youth and women’s organizations, to advance the SCO’s core values.

The Center for Public Diplomacy of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Uzbekistan, a division of the Uzbek Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is the organization behind the Public Diplomat Award.

The Centre gave this Public Diplomat Award to individuals from the fields of science, education, the arts, and culture which made a significant contribution to the growth of public diplomacy in the SCO member states, as well as to members of civil society, well-known people, and young people who excelled in a variety of fields.

The honour is also given to statesmen who significantly aided in the collaboration of the citizens of these nations and those who work for their foreign ministries, serve as ambassadors, represent international NGOs, and run national cultural institutions.