Press Release
Concluding Session of the Islamabad Conclave-2021
December 10, 2021
The Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI) organised its flagship two-day event the “Islamabad Conclave,” with top tier national and international intellectuals in helping find ways towards a “Peaceful & Prosperous South Asia.” The Honourable President of Pakistan, Dr Arif Alvi, was the Chief Guest for the concluding session on the second day.
In his concluding address, while appreciating the initiative of the Islamabad Conclave, the honourable President said that it is a great step towards bridging the gap between think tanks and decision-makers. In the backdrop of increasing conflicts in the last two decades, it appears that the states have not learned any lesson from history. As long as the vested interests of selective nations drive the agenda of international organisations, achieving an international order based on the principle of morality will remain impossible. With the growing militarization of emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, robotics and cyber, the new world order has been dehumanised. Therefore, he emphasised designing a new global order based on morality and unwavering commitment to fight against increasing challenges like killer robots, climate change and poverty.
Earlier, presenting the conclusions of the Conclave, Ambassador Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry, Director General ISSI, briefed the President about the over-arching objectives of the Conclave. He highlighted that South Asia hosts the largest youth bulge in the world and still is the least integrated region of the world. Through focusing on Confidence Building Measures (CBMs), India and Pakistan can help maintain strategic balance, peace and stability in South Asia. He further added that the world must engage constructively with the new political reality in Afghanistan to work out a mechanism of humanitarian and development support that ensures stability and averts a breakdown of governance and security. Connectivity has emerged as a defining featureof the global and regional economies. The CPEC, a flagship project of BRI, is a prime example of “Development through Connectivity.” Highlighting the conclusions from the last session, Ambassador Chaudhry stressed the need of recognising the climate crisis as a threat to Pakistan’s national security. Therefore, the pursuance of objectives of human security, economic security and traditional security for Pakistan are extremely important and require being undertaken simultaneously as they complement one another to achieve a holistic national security paradigm.
The event was attended and received well by practitioners, academia, and policymakers.
