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ISLAMABAD, Oct 23 (APP):Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister (DPM/FM), Senator Ishaq Dar on Thursday reaffirmed Pakistan’s unwavering commitment to the ideals and principles of the United Nations Charter, calling for a renewed spirit of multilateralism and reform to meet the challenges of a changing world.
Speaking at an event marking the 80th anniversary of the UN Charter’s entry into force, organized by the United Nations Country Team in Pakistan, Senator Dar described the milestone as “a landmark in our shared quest for peace, justice and human progress.”
He thanked UN Resident Coordinator Mohammad Yahya for his leadership and the efforts of the UN system in Pakistan, emphasizing that this year’s commemoration comes at a time of “profound challenge for the international community.”
“We are witnessing growing instability, widening inequality and erosion of trust—both between nations and in the very institutions meant to safeguard global peace and prosperity,” he noted.
The DPM/FM expressed concern over persistent conflicts and unresolved disputes, including Jammu and Kashmir and Palestine, where the “promise of self-determination and justice remains unfulfilled for millions.” He also highlighted the worsening impacts of climate change and structural flaws in global financial systems that, he said, continue to “impede sustainable development and perpetuate inequality and debt distress across the Global South.” Dar cautioned that the spirit of multilateralism, central to the UN’s founding vision, faces increasing strain.
“When multilateralism falters, the space for peace and development narrows. When it fails, unilateralism and bloc politics rise,” he warned. He said Pakistan deliberately chose “Multilateralism and the Peaceful Resolution of Disputes” as its theme for debate at the United Nations, reaffirming Islamabad’s conviction that inclusive, representative, and reformed multilateralism is vital for shared security and prosperity.
Senator Dar underscored Pakistan’s commitment to supporting UN reform during its 2025–2026 tenure as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council (UNSC), adding that stagnation would not serve the organization. “For multilateralism to remain relevant, it must address structural deficiencies, give stronger voices to developing countries, and deliver equitably for all,” he said. “Reforming multilateralism is not a rejection of it. It is the only way to preserve it.”
He noted Pakistan’s longstanding and constructive partnership with the UN, from peacekeeping to humanitarian assistance, climate resilience, and development cooperation. As one of the leading troop-contributing countries and host to one of the UN’s oldest peace missions, United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP), Pakistan, he said, continues to support peacekeeping as a vital tool for global stability.
Calling for strengthening the role of UNMOGIP alongside a just and peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with UNSC resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people, Dar reaffirmed that Pakistan remains committed to upholding peace, justice, and multilateral cooperation.
Referring to Pakistan’s recent presidency of the UN Security Council in July 2025, Dar said the unanimous adoption of Resolution 27AA under Pakistan’s chairmanship stands as “testimony to our resolve to bring the UN Charter’s tools for peaceful dispute resolution to the forefront of global diplomacy.”
The Foreign Minister commended the UN Secretary-General and Mr. Yahya for launching the UN80 Initiative, calling it “a timely and important effort to reinvigorate and modernize the UN, making it more responsive, efficient, and representative of contemporary global realities.”
He stressed that at a time of heightened instability, the UN’s core mandate of maintaining international peace and security must remain paramount, warning against cost-cutting measures that could weaken the organization’s peacekeeping and development pillars. “Conflict prevention, peacekeeping, and peacebuilding functions should not be compromised, they must be strengthened,” he said. “The priorities and core interests of developing countries must remain central, particularly in achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.”
Concluding his address, Senator Dar reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to engage constructively with the UN80 process to ensure the organization remains equipped to meet present and future challenges effectively and fairly. “We aspire to an international order defined not by unilateralism and division, but by cooperation, inclusion, and peaceful coexistence, with the UN at its center,” he affirmed.
“On this UN Day, Pakistan reaffirms its enduring commitment to multilateralism and to the UN Charter’s vision of peace, development, and human dignity for all.”