ISLAMABAD, Feb 13 (APP): Pakistan has called for greater respect for international law and renewed efforts toward the peaceful settlement of longstanding disputes in line with the UN Charter and relevant Security Council resolutions, Senate Chairman Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani said during the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Annual Hearing 2026 at the United Nations headquarters.
Delivering Pakistan’s national statement at the inaugural session, Gilani emphasised the need for democratic, transparent and accountable decision-making to strengthen the credibility of the United Nations.
He said parliaments remained essential partners in ensuring national ownership of international commitments.
Highlighting the need for institutional reform, the Senate chairman remarked that reforms should be inclusive, stressing the principle of “reform for all, privilege for none”.
Gilani is leading a six-member high-level parliamentary delegation from Pakistan attending the two-day annual parliamentary hearing.
The delegation includes Senators Saleem Mandviwala, Farooq H. Naek, Muhammad Abdul Qadir, Syed Faisal Ali Subzwari, and National Assembly member Malik Muhammad Amir Dogar.
The Senate chairman underscored the continued importance of the United Nations as a cornerstone of multilateral cooperation, noting that its universal membership and Charter-based mandate remained central to promoting global peace and security.
Referring to multiple global challenges, including climate change, ongoing conflicts and widening socio-economic inequalities, he said these overlapping crises were straining the UN’s capacity to deliver effectively across its key mandates.
He observed that such pressures disproportionately affected developing countries, often reversing development gains.
Gilani stressed that no single country could address these systemic challenges alone and called for renewed trust in multilateral cooperation supported by predictable and sustainable financing for the UN system.
Recalling his role in last year’s Inter-Parliamentary Speakers Conference, he reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to fostering closer coordination between the United Nations, the IPU and related parliamentary platforms to advance shared global objectives.
The IPU Annual Hearing 2026, held under the theme “Parliaments and the United Nations: Better together, delivering for the people,” focuses on promoting peace, sustainable development, democratic governance and effective multilateralism, including parliamentary contributions to ongoing UN reform efforts.