Pakistan warns UN reform must not ‘hollow out’ peacekeeping bedrock

UNITED NATIONS, Oct 09 (APP):Against a backdrop of multiplying global conflicts and severe financial strain, Pakistan warned at the United Nations that any reform must not “hollow out” the bedrock of UN peacekeeping, the world body’s flagship activity.

Speaking at the Challenges Annual Forum 2026, themed “Turning the Tide: Building Momentum for Peace Operations in a Demanding World,” Ambassador Usman Jadoon, deputy permanent Representative of Pakistan said, while highlighting the severity of the current financial pressures,  and urging the international community not let a temporary liquidity crisis dictate the future of peacekeeping.

The essential challenge is not the perceived decline of peacekeeping, but the preservation of the long-established institutional capacity and political trust required for future deployments, he said in the course of the discussion.

As one of the world’s largest troop-contributing nations, Pakistan’s stance, in this regard,  carries heavy institutional weight.

 Over the past six decades, the Pakistani envoy said, more than 270,000 Pakistani peacekeepers have served under the UN flag; 183 have made the ultimate sacrifice. Pakistan is also a host country to one of the UN’s oldest peacekeeping missions – United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP), which monitors the Line of Control (LoC) in disputed Jammu and Kashmir.

“So, our perspective is shaped both by contributing to peacekeeping and by hosting a mission,” Ambassador Jadoon pointed out.

Peacekeeping is the Security Council’s primary tool for turning resolutions in New York into reality on the ground, he said. Stripping the Council of a credible peacekeeping capacity paralyzes its ability to halt escalation, shield civilians, and safeguard fragile political processes.

“There is a critical need to distinguish financial pressure from political legitimacy,” the Pakistani envoy said, warning against the assumption that political support for peacekeeping is eroding, as the evidence points in the exact opposite direction.

This year, the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations once again reached a consensus on its report and recommendations for peacekeeping, it was pointed out. Furthermore, he said, the Pakistan-Denmark Security Council Resolution 2823 (2026), which focuses on accountability for crimes against peacekeepers, was adopted unanimously. Remarkably, this resolution attracted 153 co-sponsors—a record number for any Security Council resolution in history.

This milestone serves as an extraordinary demonstration of interest and widespread support for peacekeeping across the entire United Nations membership, the Pakistani envoy said.

“The objective of reform, therefore, should be to strengthen this instrument for the future, not to hollow it out in response to what may prove to be temporary financial pressures.,” Ambassador Jadoon added.