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NEW YORK, Sep 25 (APP): Pakistan Thursday reaffirmed its commitment to advancing mediation as a shared responsibility, saying a renewed partnership between the United Nations and regional organizations could breathe new life into global peace efforts.
In a statement delivered here at the Ministerial Meeting of the Group of Friends on Mediation under the Theme: “Re-affirming Cooperation between the UN and Regional Organizations in Mediation”, Minister for Defence Khawaja Muhammad Asif said, ” Mediation remains a highly impactful tool available in the UN Charter for peaceful settlement of disputes.”
While thanking the co-chairs Finland and Türkiye for convening the ministerial meeting, he said, “We support the efforts of this group to promote mediation and retain a high level focus on this vital aspect.” The minister said, “Mediation offers a pathway, from conflict and confrontation, towards dialogue, compromise and sustainable peace. At a time when mistrust and geopolitical rivalries are intensifying, mediation must be revitalized as a cornerstone of preventive diplomacy. He said, “For Pakistan, mediation is not just an abstract principle but a coveted goal, as we live in a region where unresolved disputes continue to fester. The Jammu and Kashmir dispute remains one of the oldest items on the agenda of the UN Security Council.”
“For nearly eight decades, the Kashmiri people have awaited the fulfillment of their right to self-determination guaranteed to them under numerous Security Council resolutions. The resistance to mediation by one party in South Asia undermines regional stability. It is precisely in such situations that reaffirmation of commitment to mediation, to the Charter, and to international law is imperative,” he explained.
The minister said mediation offered an effective and enduring pathway to peace as it is the bridge that can connect dialogue to compromise, and compromise to reconciliation, fulfilling the promise of peaceful coexistence.
“Pakistan has always championed peaceful settlement of disputes through mediation, dialogue and diplomacy. During Pakistan’s Presidency of the Security Council in July this year, we sought to place mediation at the heart of the Council’s work,” he observed. He pointed out that the Council unanimously adopted resolution 2788 on the “Peaceful Settlement of Disputes,” reaffirming mediation as a critical instrument for conflict prevention and resolution. “
During our Presidency, we also steered the adoption of a Presidential Statement that underscored the importance of enhanced cooperation between the Security Council and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in mediation. These outcomes reflect Pakistan’s unwavering conviction that dialogue and mediation are indispensable to sustainable peace,” he added. Khawaja Asif said, “?We believe the way forward requires: first, institutionalized coordination between the UN and regional organizations to harmonize mediation efforts; second, predictable and sustainable financing for mediation activities, including those of regional organizations to strengthen preventive diplomacy; and third, upholding the UN Charter and international law as the foundation of all mediation efforts.”
“Let us remember: every dispute resolved through mediation is a victory for peace. Every act of dialogue that saves lives is an investment in a more just and stable international order,”he concluded.
