The United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan has thanked Pakistan's envoy to Britain Dr Maleeha Lodhi for serving on his Advisory Board on Disarmament Matters for the past five years.
In a letter addressed to Dr Maleeha Lodhi, the UN Secretary General expressed his sincere gratitude for her invaluable service to the Advisory Board since 2001.
Dr Maleeha Lodhi served as a member of this prestigious 22-member advisory body for five years from 2001 to the end of 2005 that advises the Secretary General on matters of arms limitation and disarmament, including on research undertaken under the auspices of the UN system.
In his communication to Dr Lodhi, the Secretary General acknowledged that during her tenure, she took an active part in the Board's discussions in formulating concrete recommendations on a number of important issues. This involved helping to formulate the Board's contribution to the Secretary General's High-level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change. It also included inputs into issues relating to weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and terrorism, disarmament and development, challenges and opportunities at the regional level in the areas of WMD and conventional arms and a review of the disarmament machinery.
The Secretary General especially applauded Dr Maleeha Lodhi's contribution to the Board's deliberations and recommendations on the issues of export controls and compliance, verification and enforcement of multilateral disarmament treaties.
He also appreciated, in the letter, her contribution to the Advisory Board's oversight of the substantive and financial aspects of the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research. Members of the Advisory Board come from all regions of the world, chosen by the Secretary General for their knowledge and experience in the field of international security and disarmament.
The Secretary General reports annually to the UN General Assembly on the activities of the Advisory Board.