Home About Us IPDS Team Advisory Board Partners Partnerships in Practice Partnership Case Studies Programs Research Fellowship — Apply International Young Diplomats School Emerging Young Women Leaders Congress International Certification Programs Islamabad Diplomacy Forum Research Live Trackers Expert Commentary Policy Analysis & Briefs Research Essays Journal of Peace and Diplomacy Books News & Updates Centres of Study Central Asia & Eurasia Women, Peace & Leadership Leadership Center SCO Studies BRI & China Studies European Studies American Studies Africa Studies ASEAN Studies Join the Scholars Network Events Register for an Event Career Support Engage with Us Commissioned Research Geopolitical Risk Analysis Media & Public Diplomacy Track II Dialogues Training & Executive Education Contact Us
Home/About IPDS/Partners/Case studies/The United Nations
IPDS Partnership Case Studies · No. 1

Bringing the United Nations to Pakistani students

In April 2015 IPDS signed an agreement with the United Nations Information Centre in Islamabad to involve Pakistani students in the UN’s communication work. This case follows the agreement from signature to the UN programmes, observances and briefings it led to.

Signing the agreement with the United Nations Information Centre, Islamabad, April 2015.
Signing the agreement with the United Nations Information Centre, Islamabad, April 2015.
Period2013 to the present
TypeMultilateral partnership
RegionUnited Nations & multilateral
StatusActive

01Context

The United Nations Information Centre in Islamabad is the UN’s public information office in Pakistan. In 2015, the UN’s seventieth year, it set out to bring more Pakistani students into UN activities, and it chose to do so through partner organisations already working with universities.

IPDS was then in its second year. Its founders already held a UN link: Muhammad Asif Noor had served since 2013 as Country Chapter Coordinator for Pakistan of the UN Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC).

02Partners and roles

United Nations Information Centre, IslamabadSigned the agreement; opened its communication initiatives to IPDS’s student networks; co-organised later events.
Inter-University Consortium for Promotion of Social Sciences (IUCPSS)Signed a parallel agreement with UNIC on the same day, extending the work to member universities.
National Book Foundation and National Book FestivalHosted the UN Speakers’ Corner in April 2015.
UN agencies in PakistanHeads of agencies spoke to students in 2015; six agencies and bodies have since hosted International Young Diplomats School cohorts.
COMSATS, Riphah International UniversityCo-organised UN observances with IPDS in later years.

03What was done

  1. 2013

    Muhammad Asif Noor becomes UNAOC Country Chapter Coordinator for Pakistan. Source →

  2. 10 April 2015

    UNIC signs agreements with IPDS and IUCPSS covering the UN Book Corner, the UN Wall campaign, Academic Impact, youth internships and the commemoration of UN Days. Source →

  3. 24 April 2015

    UN Speakers’ Corner at the National Book Festival: heads of UN organisations in Pakistan meet students. Source →

  4. 2015

    The UN Book Corner is brought to students under the agreement. Source →

  5. September 2017

    Forum on South-South Cooperation for the UN Day for South-South Cooperation, with COMSATS; speakers from UNIDO, UNDP and the EU Delegation. Source →

  6. December 2018

    Seminar with UNIC and the Embassy of Turkmenistan; the UN Country Representative and the Director of UNIC were among the speakers. Source →

  7. April 2024

    International Day of Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace, marked with Riphah Institute of Public Policy. Source →

  8. June 2024

    International Day for Women in Diplomacy, marked with Riphah Institute of Public Policy. Source →

  9. 2024 onwards

    UN agencies host cohorts of the International Young Diplomats School: by 2026, six UN agencies and bodies, among them ILO, UNAIDS, UNDP and UNFPA. Source →

04Outputs

1Memorandum of Understanding with the UN Information Centre (2015)
5UN initiatives opened to IPDS’s student networks: Book Corner, UN Wall, Academic Impact, internships and UN Days
1UN Speakers’ Corner with heads of UN organisations (2015)
3UN international days marked with partner institutions (2017, 2024)
6UN agencies and bodies that have hosted IYDS cohorts

05Results

Students met the UN directly

Within two weeks of signature, heads of UN organisations in Pakistan were in a room with students at the National Book Festival.

Evidence →

The UN as a co-organiser

By 2018 UNIC was co-organising IPDS events, with the UN Country Representative, Neil Buhne, and the Director of UNIC, Vlastimil Samek, among the speakers.

Evidence →

UN observances as a recurring programme

The agreement’s commitment to UN Days became a standing part of IPDS’s calendar, delivered with universities and with COMSATS.

Evidence →

A UN component in diplomatic training

Six UN agencies and bodies, among them the UNDP Resident Representative’s office, have received cohorts of the International Young Diplomats School.

Evidence →

06How the partnership works

Use the partner’s own instruments

The agreement did not create new programmes. It opened existing UN initiatives to students IPDS could reach, which kept the cost low and the purpose clear.

Pair a UN body with a university network

UNIC signed with IPDS and IUCPSS together, so the work had both an organiser and a route into universities.

Make it recurring

Observances such as the UN Day for South-South Cooperation give the partnership fixed dates each year and a reason to bring in new co-hosts.

07Evidence and citation

  1. UN partners with IPDS and IUCPSS (IPDS, April 2015)
  2. UN Speakers’ Corner (IPDS, April 2015)
  3. Forum on South-South Cooperation (IPDS, September 2017)
  4. Seminar with UNIC and the Embassy of Turkmenistan (IPDS, December 2018)
  5. International Day of Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace (IPDS, April 2024)
  6. International Day for Women in Diplomacy (IPDS, June 2024)

The text of the 2015 agreement is not published online. This account draws on IPDS’s announcement of the signing and on the records of the events that followed.

Cite this case studyInstitute of Peace and Diplomatic Studies (2026). Bringing the United Nations to Pakistani students. IPDS Partnership Case Studies, No. 1. Islamabad: IPDS. https://ipd.org.pk/about-us/partners/case-studies/united-nations/ (last reviewed October 2026).
UN Book Corner and the other country corners →International Young Diplomats School →
← Case study No. 7GIFT University: academia, industry and diplomacy in GujranwalaCase study No. 2 →Turkmenistan: a decade of joint work

Build the next case study with IPDS

Embassies, universities, think tanks and international organisations work with IPDS on research, dialogue, training and culture. Tell us what you have in mind.

Write to info@ipd.org.pk All case studies Partnerships in Practice

Last reviewed October 2026. Partners named in a case study can ask for corrections at info@ipd.org.pk.

The IPDS Newsletter

Research, dialogues and opportunities from IPDS

Our latest analysis, upcoming events and calls for researchers, in your inbox twice a month.

We will email you to confirm. One click unsubscribes you at any time, and we never share your address. How we use your details.