SDPI
Board of Governors, during a recent meeting, has selected Shafqat Kakakhel as
its Chairperson, says a press release issued here. Kakakhel is a former
Pakistani diplomat and a high-ranking official of United Nations.

He
was Pakistan’s High Commissioner to Kenya, Uganda and Ambassador to Ethiopia
from 1994-1998. He was appointed as Deputy Executive Director of UN Environment
Programme as Assistant Secretary General in August 1998. He retired from UN in
December2007. He was elected as member of the Executive Board of the Clean
Development Mechanisms under the Kyoto Protocol as a nominee of the Government
of Pakistan in December 2008.

Kakakhel
is also member Advisory Board of Ministry of Environment as well as a member of
the National Task Force on Climate Change.

"Since
its inception two decades ago, SDPI has played an invaluable role in
highlighting the importance of sustainable development in Pakistan," remarked
Kakakhail on the occasion

The
Institute provided a platform to all major political parties to elaborate their
manifestos for the benefit of millions of voters who felt bewildered by the
increasingly polemical thrust of the electoral campaign in which issues seem to
receive less attention due to the irresponsible tone and content of the
election activities.