Paris: Ambassador of Pakistan in France Mumtaz Zahra Baloch has underlined the importance of ‘free flow of ideas’ as a foundation not just for democracies but also for international diplomacy. Speaking in an event jointly organized by UNESCO and the European Union, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch expressed concern at the evolution in international diplomacy as spaces for open dialogue and intellectual exchange become restricted.

According to Radio Pakistan, she said that there is thus a growing inability of states to constructively engage with each other to develop common ground to find solutions to global problems. Ambassador also spoke about the opportunities and challenges arising out of the UN80 process and its implications for the Human Rights Pillar of the United Nations. Terming the process as an opportunity to modernize and streamline the UN human rights machinery, she cautioned that the process should not lead to a weakening of the human rights mechanisms and procedures and dilution of the progress made in human rights.