UNSC report reaffirms relevance of Kashmir, Palestine disputes

• Over 20 communications on India-Pakistan question recorded in 2025

• Security Council held closed consultations on Kashmir in May as Pakistan, India trade barbs over Kashmir references at UN debate

• Pakistan says report underscores need for resolution under UN framework, highlighting role in drafting UNSC report introduction

• Resolution 2803 backs Gaza peace plan amid ongoing conflict

  UNITED NATIONS: The United Nations Security Council's (UNSC) annual report for 2025, presented to the General Assembly on Friday, reaffirmed the continued relevance of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute and the Palestinian question, describing both as long-standing issues on the Council's agenda with implications for regional and international peace and security.

The report noted that more than 20 communications concerning the India-Pakistan question were brought before the Security Council during the reporting period and that the 15-member body held closed consultations on the issue in May 2025. It also documented the Council's engagement with the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory, particularly Gaza, including the adoption of Resolution 2803 endorsing a Gaza peace plan.

Pakistan, which coordinated and drafted the introduction to the report during its presidency of the Security Council in July 2025, welcomed the references to both disputes, saying they underscored the need for their resolution in accordance with UN resolutions and international law.

Report continued relevance of occupied Kashmir and Palestinian disputes

Addressing the General Assembly debate on the report, Pakistan's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, said the document highlighted the continued relevance of the Jammu and Kashmir and Palestinian disputes, both of which must be resolved in line with international legitimacy and Security Council resolutions.

"This underscores that the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, which has remained on the Council's agenda for over seven decades, continues to engage its attention," he said.

Reiterating Pakistan's position, Ambassador Asim said durable peace in South Asia required a just settlement of the Kashmir dispute in accordance with Security Council resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people.

The annual report reviews the Security Council's work from January to December 2025 and records its engagement with conflicts and crises across Africa, the Middle East, West Asia, South Asia, Europe and Latin America, as well as thematic issues, including the peaceful settlement of disputes.

Highlighting Pakistan's role in preparing the report, Ambassador Asim said Islamabad adopted an open, constructive and inclusive approach and secured early consensus on the introduction through consultations with Council members and the broader UN membership.

He said the report demonstrated that despite heightened geopolitical tensions, the Security Council remained actively engaged in addressing threats to international peace and security. He also highlighted the unanimous adoption of Resolution 2788, sponsored by Pakistan, which promoted the peaceful settlement of disputes and fuller utilisation of the UN Charter's conflict-resolution mechanisms.

Turning to Palestine, the ambassador said the continuing tragedy in the occupied Palestinian territory, particularly Gaza, remained high on the Council's agenda. He described Resolution 2803, endorsing the Gaza Peace Plan, as a significant step after repeated failures to halt the bloodshed and stressed the need for its full implementation.

Pakistan also reiterated its support for the Palestinian people's right to self-determination and for an independent, viable and contiguous State of Palestine.

International Day of UN Peacekeepers marked

Separately, Pakistan joined other UN member states in marking the International Day of UN Peacekeepers. Ambassador Asim noted that Pakistan has contributed more than 237,000 peacekeepers to 48 UN missions over the past six decades, with more than 183 personnel laying down their lives in the service of international peace.

The debate also witnessed a sharp exchange between Pakistan and India over references to Kashmir in the report. Exercising Pakistan's right of reply, Counsellor Gul Qaiser Sarwani rejected India's criticism, saying the report itself recorded communications on the India-Pakistan question and the Security Council's consultations on the issue in May 2025.