United Nations:Having deft diplomacy to successfully isolate Pakistan on the Kashmir issue at the UN and engineered India's unprecedented victory for the judgeship of the World Court over a Security Council permanent member, Syed Akbaruddin has wound up his term as India's Permanent Representative to the world body.
Akbaruddin, who retired after a 35-year career in the Indian Foreign Service this month, helped create history when the members of the UN overwhelmingly voted for the re-election of Dalveer Bhandari in 2017 rebelling against the hegemony of the permanent members and forced Britain to withdraw its candidate Christoper Greenwood, who had the majority support in the Security Council.
It marked a clear shift in the balance of power at the UN, from old colonial powers of the last century to the emerging nations of this.
"I was lucky to represent India when our global image was on the rise," Akbaruddin said, attributing the nation's successes during his tenure to that and an appreciation of how New Delhi engaged with countries around the world.
Pakistan's persistent, intensive diplomacy to internationalise the Kashmir issue was checkmated with 189 of the 193 members repudiating it.
Besides Pakistan, only Malaysia and Turkey have raised it in the General Assembly, and even that only once and giving up after being isolated.
China tried twice to bring it up in the Security Council but couldn't even get a statement acknowledging that it had been discussed in closed-door consultations.
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He helped rip China's protective mantle over Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar and have him listed as a global terrorist by the UN Security Council.
Of his diplomacy, Akbaruddin said: "The only way to succeed here is through partnerships."
And partnerships he had built aplenty winning the regard of fellow-diplomats and UN leaders.
General Assembly President Tijjani Muhammad-Bande described him as a 'great diplomat'.
He said: "Syed Akbaruddin was one of the very best. I can tell you, I cannot imagine anyone of us who has worked with Syed who will say anything differently. He is a very wise man, very, very sincere, very knowledgeable."