ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has begun its two-year tenure as a non-permanent member of the powerful United Nations Security Council (UNSC) starting January 1, 2025, with Ambassador Munir Akram saying that the Pakistani delegation will play an “active and constructive” role in addressing key challenges facing the world.
“Our presence will be felt in the Security Council,” Ambassador Akram, Pakistan’s top diplomat at the UN, told APP.
The horseshoe table
On Wednesday, Pakistan is going to sit in the Security Council for the 2025-26 term as a non-permanent member — the eighth time that the country has had a seat on the 15-member body’s horseshoe table.
In June, Pakistan was elected to the Council with a massive majority as a Council’s non-permanent member, polling 182 votes in the 193-member General Assembly — far more than the required 124 votes representing a two-thirds majority.
“We enter the Council at a time of great geopolitical turbulence, intense competition between the two largest powers, raging wars in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and elsewhere and a sharply escalating and multidimensional arms race,” Ambassador Akram said.
Cross border terrorism
“As a responsible State — the fifth largest by population — Pakistan will play an active and constructive role, in accordance with the UN Charter, to halt wars, promote the pacific settlement of disputes, and contain the negative impacts of great power rivalries, the arms race, new weapons and domains of conflict as well as the spreading scourge of terrorism.”
At the same time, he added, Pakistan is also obliged to address — in the Council and other UN forums — the threats posed to peace and security in our region by cross-border terrorism, the suppression of Kashmiri self-determination, the growing arms imbalance in South Asia as well as the discriminatory restraints imposed against Pakistan to compromise its strategic deterrence capabilities.
Pakistan replaces Japan at UNSC
“Fortunately, Pakistan has a well-trained and professional team at the UN with the proven capacity to address these challenges effectively. Our presence will be felt in the Security Council,” Ambassador Akram remarked.
Pakistan replaces Japan in the Security Council – a primary instrument for establishing and maintaining international peace.
Pakistan’s earlier terms on the council were in 2012-13, 2003-04, 1993-94, 1983-84, 1976-77, 1968-69 and 1952-53.
Contribution to peacekeeping
As a non-permanent member of the UNSC in the past, Pakistan had made significant contributions to its work aimed at strengthening international peace and security over the last 50 years, Pakistan has been a leading contributor to United Nations peacekeeping missions.
In the June election in the General Assembly, Pakistan was elected along with Denmark, Greece, Panama, and Somalia — to replace Japan, Ecuador, Malta, Mozambique, and Switzerland whose terms end on December 31, 2024.
The new members will join the five veto-wielding permanent members the United States, Russia, China, United Kingdom and France and the five countries elected as non-permanent members last year Algeria, Guyana, South Korea, Sierra Leone and Slovenia.
Pakistan at UN
According to the official website of the Permanent Mission of Pakistan to the United Nations, Pakistan joined the UN on September 30, 1947 and is committed to a world in which upholding human dignity is the highest value and maintaining global peace a sacred duty.
It added that Pakistan seeks resolution of the Kashmir dispute on the basis of Resolutions adopted by the Security Council.
It said, “Our principled position on the dispute remains a bed-rock of our foreign policy. We will continue to support the right of self-determination of the people of Jammu and Kashmir and to choose their destiny in accordance with UNSC resolutions”.
It maintained that during Pakistan’s Presidency of the Security Council in January 2013, the country convened two special thematic debates: (i) comprehensive approach to counter-terrorism; and (ii) UN Peacekeeping: a multidimensional approach. The latter led to adoption of a landmark resolution on peacekeeping operations.
Commitment to the principles of the UN Charter
Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has said Islamabad will collaborate with all UN member states to uphold the principles of the UN Charter, prevent war, promote peace, foster global prosperity, and ensure universal respect for human rights.
Delivering his remarks at a reception hosted for Islamabad-based envoys to mark the beginning of Pakistan’s term as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the years 2025-2026, the minister said Pakistan will remain committed to pursuing a just and peaceful resolution of outstanding and ongoing disputes.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar @MIshaqDar50, hosted a reception at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs today to mark the commencement of Pakistan’s term as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for the… pic.twitter.com/Mufsu4VCyK
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) January 1, 2025
Speaking on the occasion, the Foreign Minister said that elected for an eighth time, Pakistan brings to the Security Council a rich legacy of experience and an unwavering commitment to the principles and purposes of the UN Charter.
He highlighted Pakistan’s contributions to international peace and security, especially through its active role in UN peacekeeping and peacebuilding endeavors around the world.
He underlined that Pakistan looked forward to seeking just and peaceful resolution of situations on the agenda of the UN Security Council.
As a member of the Council, Pakistan will continue to oppose the unilateral and illegal use or threat of force; combat terrorism in all its forms and manifestations; and support effective UN peacekeeping, and peacebuilding efforts, he said.
The event was attended by the heads of resident Missions of the UN Security Council Member States in Islamabad and senior officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. —with input from APP
