Ambassador Sohail Mahmood, from the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, assumed responsibilities as the new Secretary-General of the Developing-8 (D-8) Organization for Economic Cooperation today. The change was formalised in a ceremony held at the Headquarters of the D-8 Secretariat in Istanbul.

In his remarks on the occasion, Ambassador Imam welcomed and congratulated Ambassador Sohail Mahmood on his assumption of duty and extended his best wishes for a successful tenure. He also briefed participants on the key achievements and milestones accomplished during his tenure as Secretary-General from 2022 to 2025, highlighting the Organization’s progress in advancing economic cooperation, strengthening institutional capacity, and implementing strategic initiatives. He also expressed his appreciation to the staff of the Secretariat for their cooperation and support throughout his term of office.

On his part, Ambassador Sohail Mahmood expressed his sincere appreciation to Ambassador Imam for the warm welcome and congratulated him on his contributions to the Organization. He wished Ambassador Imam continued success in his future endeavors.

Ambassador Sohail Mahmood underscored the significant potential of the D-8 Organization and emphasized the importance of strengthening cooperation among Member States through effective implementation of priority programs, initiatives, and flagship projects. He reaffirmed his commitment to working closely with Member States, partners, and the Secretariat to realize the founding principles and objectives as well as targets as outlined in the D-8 Charter and the Decennial Roadmap.

The ceremony concluded with the signing of the handover minutes and a family photo, marking the official commencement of Ambassador Sohail Mahmood’s tenure as Secretary-General of the D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation effective from 1 January 2026.

In his public career spanning over four decades, Ambassador Sohail Mahmood has previously served as the 30th Foreign Secretary of Pakistan from 2019-2022 and headed Pakistan’s premier policy think-tank (Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad – ISSI) from 2023 to 2025.