Naela Chohan

Naela Chohan (Urdu: نائلہ چوہان, alternative spelling Naila Chohan) (born 6 May 1958 in Rawalpindi, Pakistan) is a Pakistani ambassador, artist and diplomat. As a seasoned and veteran diplomat, ambassador Chohan has assumed a leadership position in eight different Pakistani diplomatic missions on five different continents.[1][2] Naela Chohan is a hyperpolyglot[3] with demonstrable fluency in seven Indo-European languages including Persian, French, and Spanish.[4][5]

Naela Chohan
Naela Chohan, Pakistan Civil Service, 1982
Pakistan Ambassador to Australia
In office
29 October 2014 – 5 May 2018
Pakistan Ambassador to Argentina
In office
26 August 2009 – 29 April 2013
Personal details
Born (1958-05-06) 6 May 1958
Rawalpindi, Pakistan
Spouse(s)Musa Javed Chohan
ChildrenUsman W. Chohan, Ibrahim A. Chohan
Alma materHarvard University, Centre d'Etudes Diplomatiques et Stratégiques, Quaid-e-Azam University, École du Louvre, École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts
OccupationPakistani Ambassador, Women's Rights Advocate and Artist

Along with only a handful of other diplomats, Naela Chohan represents the first and senior-most cohort of women to rise to the highest echelon of Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.[6] Canada's weekly foreign policy Embassy Magazine in January, 2008 described her by saying that "though slight in stature and soft in speech, Naela Chohan accounts for 50 per cent of the Pakistani foreign service's most potent power couple."[7] Having started her diplomatic career on the China Desk at Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, she has been a proponent of a strong Pakistan-China Alliance premised on multifaceted cooperation.[8][9] Naela Chohan is also committed to the prohibition of global Chemical Weapons, being the first civilian and woman to head the National Authority on the Implementation of the Convention on the Prohibition of Chemical weapons in Pakistan.[10] She is responsible for having conceived or restored several Pakistani landmarks including the Plaza de Pakistan in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She was the first female foreign diplomat to be received in Tehran by the Iranian government after the 1979 Revolution.[11]

Naela Chohan has served as High Commissioner of Pakistan to Australia,[12] where she laid emphasis on bolstering bilateral ties, therein prioritizing the enhancement of security, agricultural,[13] educational and economic relations.[14][15][16] She has previously served as Pakistan's Secretary for the Middle East and Africa, prior to which she was the Ambassador of Pakistan to Argentina, Uruguay, Peru and Ecuador, where she has been a vocal proponent of stronger ties between Pakistan and Latin America.[17][18] She is an alumnus of Quaid-e-Azam University and the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

Beyond her diplomatic career, Ambassador Naela Chohan is a strong advocate of Women's Rights through the medium of visual arts,[19] and exhibitions of her art have taken place on five continents.[20][21] Her most notable work is Souffrance, which is kept on permanent display at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris since 2002.[22]

Career

Naela Chohan has served as ambassador of Pakistan to Australia, where she laid emphasis on bolstering bilateral ties, therein prioritizing the enhancement of security, agricultural, educational and economic relations.[23][24] She assumed this office on 29 October 2014 at Government House, Canberra. In this capacity, she is also accredited to Pacific nations including Fiji,[25] Papua New Guinea,[26] The Solomon Islands,[27][28] and Vanuatu, among others. In April, 2018, she inaugurated the Consulate General of Pakistan in Melbourne.[29]

Having started her diplomatic career on the China Desk at Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, she has been a proponent of a strong Pakistan-China Alliance premised on multifaceted cooperation.[30][31]

Along with only a handful of other diplomats, Naela Chohan represents the first and senior-most cohort of women to rise to the highest echelon of Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.[32] She has the honour as a woman of being the first female foreign diplomat to be received in Tehran by the Iranian government after the 1979 Revolution.[33] Canada's weekly foreign policy Embassy Magazine in January, 2008 described her by saying that "though slight in stature and soft in speech, Naela Chohan accounts for 50 per cent of the Pakistani foreign service's most potent power couple."[34]

As a seasoned and veteran diplomat of Pakistan, Naela Chohan has completed eight different diplomatic missions on five different continents. Naela Chohan's diplomatic assignments have included Additional Secretary (AS) Middle East and Africa, the High Commission of Pakistan in Ottawa, the Pakistan delegation to United Nations General Assembly 41st (1987) Session and 42nd (1988) Session, and the Embassy of Pakistan in Tehran (1989–1993), and Kuala Lumpur (1997–2001).

Naela Chohan is also committed to the prohibition of global Chemical Weapons, being the first civilian and woman to head the National Authority on the Implementation of the Convention on the Prohibition of Chemical weapons in Pakistan.[35]

In addition to her service as a career diplomat, she has been a member of the Board of Directors of the Overseas Employment Corporation of Pakistan and the Inter State Gas System Limited (Pvt); and a member of the Central Board of Film Censors(CBFC). She was also unanimously elected Chairperson of the Asia Pacific Development Center (APDC), Kuala Lumpur (1998–2000).

Ambassador Chohan has been designated a Profesora Visitante at the School of Oriental Studies (Escuela de los Estudios Orientales) at the Universidad del Salvador.[36]

In April, 2014, Naela Chohan assumed the position of Acting Foreign Secretary (A-FS) at the Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, thereby becoming the first female Foreign Service Officer to hold this office. She subsequently reassumed this office in July, 2014. In February 2018, the state media agency, Australian Broadcasting Corporation's program Four Corners, reported that a Pakistani man Shahid Mahmood, working as a domestic servant at the Canberra residence was underpaid. The matter is sub judice.[37] The Four Corner's program noted that the High Commission had categorically denounced all of its accusations as "baseless" and politically "motivated."[38] Many notable community leaders came forward to support her, out of that most prominent was Dr. Khurram Kayani (President of PPBSA Pakistani Professionals and Business Entrepreneurs Syndicate Australia) who while giving an interview to SBS Sydney stated, "It is a very sad and shocking news for our whole community here and now we all expect a very transparent investigation into this". "It is very important to re-establish the sanctity of foreign office here as we all give highest honour and respect to anyone holding this office and title". "We are only standing with one who has integrity, honesty and highest regard for Pakistan".[39]

"Ambassador Chohan subsequently filed a case against Shahid Mahmood in the Islamabad High Court for contract violation and making allegations with a view to seeking asylum on false pretences.[40]

In 2016, Madam Ambassador Chohan was the first Pakistani ever to set foot on the Solomon Islands, and established formal diplomatic relations between Pakistan and The Solomon Islands.[41][42]

Art and advocacy for women's rights

Alongside her diplomatic career, Ambassador Naela Chohan is a strong advocate of women's rights through the medium of visual arts, and her work Souffrance is on permanent display at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris and was inaugurated by Boutros Boutros Ghali on the UN International Women's Day, 2002.[43] The UNESCO Bureau of Strategic Planning Section for Women and Gender Equality described her work as "a reflection on the position of women in society, illiteracy, economic empowerment, women's contribution to society and discrimination they face".[44] Her work Enlightenment (1999) is on permanent display at the Museum of Islamic Heritage, Kuala Lumpur; a piece that was inaugurated by the First Lady Datin Sri Endon Mahmood of Malaysia. Other major displays and exhibitions of her work have taken place in Paris (2002), Buenos Aires (2011), and in Ottawa (2008) where her exposition was inaugurated by First Lady of Canada Mrs. Laureen Harper.[45][46]

Education

Naela Chohan holds a master's degree in International Relations from Quaid-e-Azam University (1982), and a PhD session certificate in International Relations from Centre d'Etudes Diplomatiques et Stratégiques in Paris (2002). She also received training at École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts and the École du Louvre in Paris (2001). Naela Chohan also undertook the Executive Development Program (EDP) from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University (2006).

As a hyperpolyglot,[47] she has demonstrated fluency in seven Indo-European languages including English, French, Bengali, Punjabi, Urdu, Persian (acquired at age 35), and Spanish (acquired at age 51).[48]

Family

Ambassador Naela Chohan is married to Ambassador (R) Musa Javed Chohan, who has served as Pakistan's Ambassador to France (2001), Permanent Representative to UNESCO (2001), and High Commissioner to Canada (2007) and Malaysia (1997). She has two children, Usman W. Chohan and Ibrahim A. Chohan.

Ambassador Naela Chohan of Pakistan
  • From L to R Musa Javed Chohan, Naela Chohan, HRH Prince Aga Khan IV, Begum Inaara Aga Khan, and Sahibzada Yaqub Khan in Paris (2002)
  • Naela Chohan & Boutros Boutros Ghali at her art exhibition for the International Women's Day at UNESCO in Paris (2002)
  • Naela Chohan & Datin Sri Endon Mahmood at the Museum of Islamic Heritage, Kuala Lumpur. (1999)
Ambassador Naela Chohan is the current High Commissioner of Pakistan to the Commonwealth of Australia , former ambassador of Pakistan to the Republic of Argentina .

See also

References
  1. Determinants of Peace in South Asia - Ambassador Naela Chohan
  2. SBS Australia (Urdu Service) Message from Ambassador Chohan to the Pakistani Community in Australia
  3. International Association of Hyperpolyglots Special Interview with Naela Chohan. Accessed 17 November 2016.
  4. Determinants of Peace in South Asia - Ambassador Naela Chohan
  5. Visión Siete Interview #1 Naela Chohan Interview (Spanish) Naela Chohan Interview on Vision Siete Argentina (Spanish)
  6. The Nation Daily Welcome to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where the glass ceiling is gone
  7. Embassy Magazine Canada Jeff Davis, Ottawa Canada. January, 2008.
  8. 情对祖国讲 爱向祖国说｜巴基斯坦驻澳大使可汗阁下致辞 Ambassador Naela Chohan's views on a strong Pakistan-China Friendship (English/Chinese)
  9. 澳大利亚国立大学举办“一带一路”论坛 Australian National University CSSA China Conference (Chinese)
  10. MEETING OF THE STATES PARTIES TO THE CONVENTION ON THE PROHIBITION OF THE DEVELOPMENT, PRODUCTION AND STOCKPILING OF BACTERIOLOGICAL (BIOLOGICAL) AND TOXIN WEAPONS AND ON THEIR DESTRUCTION, Page 11
  11. The Nation Daily Welcome to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where the glass ceiling is gone
  12. Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Interview with Ambassador Naela Chohan "Pakistan turns 70 as a nation." Date accessed 17 August 2017.
  13. Summit focuses on global megatrends Naela Chohan at the Agricultural Summit in Canberra, Australia
  14. Naela Chohan calls on the President of Pakistan
  15. A Conversation Between Hemispheres: Gender Equality Post-2015 Development Agenda - Naela Chohan Parliament of Australia - UN SDG Convention (English)
  16. Launching of Consulate General of Pakistan in Melbourne. SBS Australia. Accessed 8 April 2018.
  17. Roundable at the Institute for Regional Studies, Pakistan Archived 23 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  18. Naela Chohan for Enhancing Ties with Latin American Countries
  19. Trust yourself: important success ingredient, according to a veteran diplomat. W Insight Magazine. Accessed 17 January 2021.
  20. Naela Chohan’s ‘Art from the Heart’ exhibition Launch with Laureen Harper Amna Hakim, Rothwell Gallery, Ottawa
  21. Diplomat displays artwork at east-end gallery Laura Cummings, The Labradorian Newspaper, 2009"
  22. "UNESCO Press Release - Bureau of Strategic Planning - Section for Women and Gender Equality (2002)". Archived from the original on 14 January 2015. Retrieved 2 March 2007.
  23. "The News International: Latest News Breaking, Pakistan News".
  25. Government of Fiji - Fijian President receives credentials from High Commissioner of Pakistan to Fiji, Madam Naela Chohan
  26. Prime Mister of Papua New Guinea with Ambassador Naela Chohan
  27. Government seals diplomatic relations with Pakistan Archived 3 April 2016 at the Wayback Machine Solomon Star
  28. Pakistan and Solomon Islands establish relations Ary News
  29. Launching of Consulate General of Pakistan in Melbourne. SBS Australia. Accessed 8 April 2018.
  30. 情对祖国讲 爱向祖国说｜巴基斯坦驻澳大使可汗阁下致辞 Ambassador Naela Chohan's views on a strong Pakistan-China Friendship (English/Chinese)
  31. 澳大利亚国立大学举办“一带一路”论坛 Australian National University CSSA China Conference (Chinese)
  32. The Secretary or the Boss? Challenges facing Female Diplomats - AIIA Australia
  33. The Nation Daily Welcome to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where the glass ceiling is gone
  34. Canada's Embassy Magazine Jeff Davis, Ottawa Canada. January, 2008.
  35. MEETING OF THE STATES PARTIES TO THE CONVENTION ON THE PROHIBITION OF THE DEVELOPMENT, PRODUCTION AND STOCKPILING OF BACTERIOLOGICAL (BIOLOGICAL) AND TOXIN WEAPONS AND ON THEIR DESTRUCTION, Page 11
  36. La Embajadora de Pakistán dio una conferencia en la USAL
  37. 4 Corners 12 February 2018
  38. 4 Corners 12 February 2018
  39. "'Send her back home' Pakistani community react to alleged abuse by High Commissioner in Australia". SBS Your Language. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
  40. Pakistani diplomat sues servant who sought asylum after alleged exploitation. SBS News Australia. Accessed 29 August 2018.
  41. Government seals diplomatic relations with Pakistan Archived 3 April 2016 at the Wayback Machine Solomon Star
  42. Pakistan and Solomon Islands establish relations Ary News
  43. "UNESCO Press Release - Bureau of Strategic Planning - Section for Women and Gender Equality (2002)". Archived from the original on 14 January 2015. Retrieved 2 March 2007.
  44. "UNESCO Press Release - Bureau of Strategic Planning - Section for Women and Gender Equality (2002)". Archived from the original on 14 January 2015. Retrieved 2 March 2007.
  45. Naela Chohan’s ‘Art from the Heart’ exhibition Launch with Laureen Harper Amna Hakim, Rothwell Gallery, Ottawa
  46. Diplomat displays artwork at east-end gallery Laura Cummings, The Labradorian Newspaper, 2009"
  47. International Association of Hyperpolyglots Special Interview with Naela Chohan. Accessed 17 November 2016.
  48. Visión Siete Interview #1 Naela Chohan Interview (Spanish) Naela Chohan Interview on Vision Siete Argentina (Spanish)
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