The Permanent Mission of Pakistan to the United Nations
(Information Section)
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Press Release
Pakistan Urges Security Council to Revitalize UN Peacekeeping
United Nations, September 9, 2025: Peacekeeping is facing a crisis of shrinking resources and eroding credibility. Pakistan, today, called on the Security Council to act to prevent one of multilateralism’s most effective tools from devolving into a fiasco.
Speaking at the Security Council’s open debate on the future of peace operations, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, referred to peacekeeping as “the UN’s greatest success story but added that today, just like the UN, it is under siege.” He cautioned that with dwindling resources and a diminishing presence, peace operations may be reduced to “a casualty of political neglect and geopolitics.”
Ambassador Asim asserted that peacekeeping now suffers from crumbling credibility, weakened by a perilous contradiction — multiplying conflicts, yet diminishing UN responses. “No new mission has been deployed since 2014; several have closed or drawn down; and those that remain struggle with financial and operational constraints that threaten mandate delivery. This is a dangerous paradox the world cannot afford,” he said.
Welcoming the Secretary-General’s review on the future of peace operations as “timely and essential to restore faith in this indispensable tool,” Ambassador Asim called for urgent and coordinated action to make peacekeeping fit for the future.
Outlining Pakistan’s six priorities, he stressed:
1. Peacekeeping, at just $5.4 billion, represents less than 0.2% of global military spending. The crippling resource gap, in conjunction with liquidity crises and delayed payments, creates “dangerous vacuums” and must be urgently addressed.
2. This principle, born from the UN’s darkest failures, must remain sacrosanct, emphasizing that it is “not optional; it is both a moral duty and a strategic necessity.” Resource scarcity, he warned, cannot be an excuse for backsliding.
3. Those who shoulder the burden in the field must have a real voice in decision-making, with structured consultations at every stage.
4. Accountability to peacekeepers must be real, with attacks investigated and prosecuted to deter future violence and pave the way for unhindered peacekeeping missions.
5. Missions must sustain ceasefires, deter escalation, and foster dialogue, reaffirming that peacekeeping also bears the responsibility of ”upholding international legitimacy and preventing escalation of unresolved disputes.”
6. Peace operations must embrace new technologies, address climate-related risks, deploy more women peacekeepers, and engage local communities, while avoiding a one-size-fits-all approach.
Ambassador Asim recalled Pakistan’s long-standing role in peacekeeping, noting that over seven decades, more than 250,000 Pakistanis have served in 48 missions, with 182 peacekeepers making the ultimate sacrifice.
Further highlighting Pakistan’s commitment to multilateralism, he reminded the Council of its oldest peacekeeping mission, UNMOGIP, which reflects a collective pursuit of peace and security.
“The sacrifice…of our peacekeepers is a testament to our enduring commitment to the Charter and to multilateralism. We salute all the peacekeepers – past and present,” he said.
Reaffirming Pakistan’s unwavering support, Ambassador Asim declared that “peace operations form the core of this Council’s work. These are proven, effective instruments of peace. We must protect and strengthen them by investing strategically in their long-term success.”
He concluded the statement with a call for urgency, stressing that this endeavor represents a test of the Council’s collective resolve, and that allowing this vital instrument to wither under neglect would not only betray the sacrifices of the countless peacekeepers but also weaken multilateralism’s strongest pillar.