UNITED NATIONS: The United Nations Security Council on Tuesday unanimously adopted a Pakistan-sponsored resolution that called for the peaceful settlement of disputes.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar opened the UNSC session as he was presiding over the UNSC Open Debate on “Promoting International Peace and Security through Multilateralism and the Peaceful Settlement of Disputes”.
This is the first of the two signature events of Pakistan in its capacity as president of the UNSC for July.
The UNSC unanimously adopted the Pakistan-sponsored resolution urging all nations to utilise effectively mechanisms for peaceful settlement of disputes, such as negotiation, mediation, arbitration, judicial settlement or other peaceful means.
The Foreign Office (FO) said the adoption of the resolution on “Strengthening Mechanisms for Peaceful Settlement of Disputes” was a noteworthy development since it was an “important contribution to the promotion of international peace and security through the use of preventive diplomacy, conflict prevention measures and dispute resolution by peaceful means”.
It added that the resolution sought to strengthen mechanisms for peaceful settlement of disputes, as envisaged in Chapter VI of the United Nations Charter and urged member states to utilise peaceful means for settling disputes.
“The resolution called upon the member states to take necessary measures for the effective implementation of Security Council resolutions for peaceful settlement of disputes.
“Member states and the United Nations have been encouraged to explore ways and means to prevent disputes from escalating, including but not limited to timely diplomatic efforts, mediation, confidence-building and facilitation of dialogue at the international, regional and subregional levels. The resolution calls for enhancing efforts by all regional and subregional organisations for peaceful settlement of disputes and to strengthen cooperation between these organisations and the United Nations.”
The FO said that as an active UNSC member, Pakistan sought to contribute to the promotion and maintenance of international peace and security, including through peaceful settlement of disputes.
“The adoption of Pakistan-sponsored resolution would serve as an important instrument to achieve these goals for peace and security at the regional and global level.”
Earlier, the FO said the signature event reaffirmed Pakistan’s unwavering belief in multilateralism and the UN Charter principle of peaceful settlement of disputes.
It said FM Dar would also hold bilateral meetings with the Saudi minister of economy and planning, UK minister for Africa, the United Nations, Commonwealth and Multilateral, as well as Thailand’s foreign minister on the sidelines.
He would also give an interview to a foreign media outlet and attend a reception hosted by Pakistan Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad for selected UN ambassadors and senior UN officials.
Speaking at the UNSC session, FM Dar said, “We call for an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in Gaza.”
He added that Israel’s latest onslaught in Gaza had killed over 58,000 Palestinians — mostly women and children. “The humanitarian situation is dire, with civilians bearing the brunt of the violence and deprivation,” Dar said.
“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,” Dar continued.
On the issue of Kashmir, Dar said that the final disposition of the dispute has to be made in line with the relevant UNSC resolutions and 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 UNSC resolutions,” Dar said.
Dar also spoke about India’s unilateral suspension of the Indus Water Treaty, saying, “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.”
The Deputy PM said, “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.”
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres also addressed the council on this occasion, followed by statements of other member states.
Guterres said that the “horror” facing Palestinians in Gaza under Israeli military attack was unprecedented in recent years.
“We need look no further than the horror show in Gaza — with a level of death and destruction without parallel in recent times,” he said in a speech.
Guterres said ramped-up Israeli operations meant “devastation is being layered upon devastation” with the Gaza Strip’s humanitarian system in its “last gasp”.
He commended FM Dar for convening the debate and for utilising the council’s presidency to put forward a resolution urging all members to make full use of the tools in collective pursuit of global peace.
“This is needed now more than ever. The architects of the United Nations Charter recognised that the peaceful resolution of disputes is the lifeline when geopolitical tensions escalate, when unresolved disputes fuel the flames of conflict and when states lose trust in each other,” the UN chief said.
“Around the world, we see an utter disregard for, if not outright violations of, international law, including international human rights law, international refugee law, international humanitarian law, and the UN Charter itself, without any accountability.
“These failures to uphold international obligations are coming at a time of widening geopolitical divides and conflicts” with staggering costs measured in human lives, shattered communities, and lost futures, Guterres said.
Diplomacy, he said, may not have always succeeded in preventing conflicts, violence and instability, but it still held the power to stop them.
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