It is a great honour and pleasure to preside over today’s high-level open debate of the UN Security Council on the important theme of “Promoting International Peace and Security through Multilateralism and Peaceful Settlement of Disputes”. Pakistan is striving to fulfil the solemn responsibility of Security Council’s Presidency with a deep sense of purpose, humility and conviction. Our approach will continue to remain anchored in the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, respect for international law, and a steadfast commitment to multilateralism.
2. I thank Secretary-General for his thoughtful and insightful remarks. We deeply appreciate the Secretary-General’s leadership and the commitment in upholding the noble ideals enshrined in the UN Charter.
3. I also wish to acknowledge the high level of interest among the UN membership in today’s open debate, including Ministerial participation. We look forward to hearing their important contributions.
4. I am extremely pleased with the adoption of the resolution 2788 on “Strengthening Mechanisms for Peaceful Settlement of Disputes” by the Council today. It is indeed a welcome expression of our collective will and determination to pursuing dialogue and diplomacy for the pacific settlement of disputes, in full conformity with the Charter and the expectations of the international community. I thank all Council members for their positive and constructive engagement with Pakistan’s delegation in achieving this important consensus.
Excellencies,
5. Today’s debate is both timely and urgent. Multilateralism is not merely a diplomatic convenience; it is the need of the hour. Peaceful settlement of disputes is not just a principle; it is the lifeline of global stability.
6. The international community today faces a deeply troubling landscape of unresolved conflicts, festering disputes, and new and escalating crises. Geopolitical rivalries, erosion of trust in multilateral institutions, and persistent non-compliance with Security Council resolutions continue to undermine our shared commitment to the maintenance of international peace and security and respect for international law.
7. Around the world, unresolved disputes have morphed into prolonged conflicts. The flames of war rage in several regions across the globe. These crises have inflicted untold human suffering, displaced millions, and undermined our collective faith in the international system’s ability to deliver justice and peace.
Excellencies,
8. We must collectively acknowledge that durable peace is not forged through power projection or unilateralism, but through dialogue, mutual respect and inclusive diplomacy. The centrality of multilateralism, as reaffirmed in the Pact for the Future, offers a framework for trust-building and cooperation essential to conflict prevention and resolution.
9. Pakistan remains a firm believer in the promise and power of multilateralism. As a long-standing member of the United Nations and one of the largest troop-contributing countries to UN peacekeeping, Pakistan’s commitment to peace is principled, enduring, and consistent.
Excellencies,
10. Peaceful settlement of disputes is not just a moral or legal imperative; it is a strategic necessity. Despite the Charter of the United Nations providing comprehensive tools under Chapter VI for the pacific settlement of disputes — including negotiation, inquiry, mediation, conciliation, arbitration, and judicial settlement — these mechanisms remain underutilized or selectively applied. The Security Council has primary responsibility in this regard. Yet, we continue to witness the persistence, and proliferation of unresolved conflicts — many of which remain on the Council’s agenda for decades. Selective implementation of Council resolutions, double standards, and the politicization of humanitarian principles have eroded its credibility and effectiveness. The ongoing tragedies in Palestine and the Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir are vivid examples of this malaise.
11. The prolonged suffering of the Palestinian people, particularly in Gaza, remains a stark reminder of the urgent need for a just and lasting solution. Israel’s latest onslaught in Gaza has killed over 58,000 Palestinians – mostly women and children. The humanitarian situation is dire, with civilians bearing the brunt of the violence and deprivation. We reiterate the call for an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in Gaza and across the occupied territory. This ceasefire must serve as a stepping-stone for a broader and durable peace. We earnestly hope that the upcoming conference on the two-State solution will reopen the political horizon, and efforts towards a just and the peaceful settlement of the Palestinian question, leading to the realization of an independent and viable State of Palestine, based on the pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.
Excellencies,
12. Pakistan also remains steadfast in its desire for peace in our own region. But this cannot be one-sided effort. It requires reciprocity, sincerity, and willingness to engage in meaningful dialogue, for which Pakistan stands ready. Jammu and Kashmir remains one of the oldest disputes on the agenda of the UN Security Council. It is an internationally recognized disputed territory, the final disposition of which is to be made in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and the wishes of the Kashmiri people. No cosmetic measures can serve as a substitute for the fundamental and inalienable right to self-determination of the Kashmiris as guaranteed by the relevant UN Security Council resolutions.
13. The 65-year old Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) between India and Pakistan is a noteworthy example of dialogue and diplomacy working for peacefully arriving at a water sharing arrangement between two neighbours. The Treaty has withstood periods of trials and tribulations in bilateral relations. It is most unfortunate and regrettable that India has chosen to illegally and unilaterally hold this Treaty in abeyance on baseless grounds, with the intention of withholding the flow of water to 240 million people of Pakistan, who rely on it for their livelihood and survival.
14. At the heart of almost all the conflicts across the globe is a crisis of multilateralism — a failure, not of principles, but of will; a paralysis, not of institutions, but of political courage. The path to sustainable peace lies in peaceful resolution of disputes. In this spirit, I humbly suggest:
First, we must revitalize trust in the UN system that requires ensuring equal treatment of all conflicts based on international law, not geopolitical expediency. The Security Council’s resolutions must be implemented universally and without discrimination.
Second, we must uphold the primacy of international law, particularly the principles of the UN Charter, in resolving disputes. There must be no space for threat or use of force, foreign occupation, or denial of right to self-determination in today’s world.
Third, the good offices of the Secretary-General should be effectively utilised in the situations of emerging conflict and those involving protracted disputes. Greater support is merited for the Mediation Support Unit.
Fourth, Peaceful dispute settlement should be a norm, not an exception. Bilateralism cannot be a pretext for inaction when one party refuses to engage.
Finally, we may promote regional partnerships in accordance with Chapter VIII of the Charter to support context-specific, inclusive solutions as well as enhance early diplomatic action, including greater investment in the tools of preventive diplomacy.
Excellencies,
15. Pakistan’s foreign policy remains anchored in the principles of the UN Charter — sovereign equality of states, non-interference, right to self-determination and the peaceful settlement of disputes. We have always preferred diplomacy over confrontation, engagement over isolation, and partnership over polarization. We covet a world that is not divided by conflict, but united by cooperation and peaceful co-existence.
Excellencies,
16. Let this Debate serve as a collective reaffirmation of our faith in multilateralism, a recommitment to the peaceful settlement of disputes, and a solemn promise to those who look to this Council not for words, but for action. It is time to return to the spirit of San Francisco, where the Charter was born out of the ashes of war and with the hope for peace. At the 80th anniversary of the foundation of the organization, we owe it to the peoples of the world to make the UN even more relevant – as a platform for dialogue, but also as an institution that delivers justice, upholds international law, and promotes sustainable peace.
I thank you.