Prince Aly Khan - United Nations Posting

United Nations Posting

"In November, 1957, Aly Khan met President Iskander Mirza of Pakistan and was offered a service as the country's permanent spokesman in the United Nations, whose formal announcement was made on February 6, 1958."

As a member of the United Nations Political and Security Committee representing Pakistan, Aly Khan's brief U.N. posting was viewed with surprise by many observers, some of whom considered him "the Asian-African answer to Irene Dunne". An American movie star not known for her political skills, Dunne had recently been designated a member of the United States delegation at General Assembly, largely in recognition of her Republican fundraising efforts.

As The New York Times reported, "For most of the last twenty-five years Aly Khan has been busy building a name as a fabulously wealthy, hard riding, fast driving, restless man of the world with a liking for parties and beautiful women." News of Aly Khan's being named a diplomat was considered a startling enough departure in his history to result in a cover story in Sports Illustrated.

On 19 August 1958, Aly Khan gave his first speech before the United Nations. The Washington Post noted, "Prince Ali Khan, more commonly known as Aly, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Representative to the United Nations from Pakistan, stood up in the General Assembly and made his first speech. It was a momentous occasion, since the ambassador's previous public utterances had been largely limited to shouts of, 'Wine for everyone!' and 'Where are the girls?'"

He was elected a vice president of the United Nations General Assembly on 17 September 1958 and also served as chairman of the U.N.'s Peace Observation Committee.

Read more about this topic:  Prince Aly Khan

Famous quotes containing the words united, nations and/or posting:

    The United States have a coffle of four millions of slaves. They are determined to keep them in this condition; and Massachusetts is one of the confederated overseers to prevent their escape.
    Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)

    The customs of some savage nations might, perchance, be profitably imitated by us, for they at least go through the semblance of casting their slough annually; they have the idea of the thing, whether they have the reality or not.
    Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)

    The man who says his evening prayer is a captain posting his sentinels. He can sleep.
    Charles Baudelaire (1821–1867)