ISLAMABAD, Sep 25 (APP):Former ambassador to the United States, China and the UN, Sardar Masood Khan said here Friday that the United Nations must be strengthened through the rule of law and revitalised multilateralism to address contemporary global crises. Responding to the rapidly evolving conflict in the Middle East, Sardar Masood Khan said in a statement that the widening US-Iran confrontation had created serious regional and global consequences, while the …
UN must be strengthened, not abandoned: Sardar Masood Khan
ISLAMABAD, Sep 25 (APP):Former ambassador to the United States, China and the UN, Sardar Masood Khan said here Friday that the United Nations must be strengthened through the rule of law and revitalised multilateralism to address contemporary global crises.
Responding to the rapidly evolving conflict in the Middle East, Sardar Masood Khan said in a statement that the widening US-Iran confrontation had created serious regional and global consequences, while the situation involving the Houthis, Saudi Arabia and the wider Gulf had further complicated the security environment.
He said the present moment required sustained diplomacy alongside security measures.
Khan said the central question facing the US-Iran confrontation was whether the conflict would continue to escalate or whether a negotiated framework could emerge. He noted that both sides had publicly articulated positions while leaving some space for diplomacy.
He stressed that direct engagement between the two sides, if it materialised, would be an important indication that their negotiators had found sufficient common ground for dialogue.
He said the continuing conflict had imposed enormous costs on Iran and the wider region, while also placing significant military and economic pressures on the United States. The broader consequences, he argued, extended beyond the immediate belligerents, affecting Gulf states, energy markets, trade and regional stability.
Turning to the United Nations, Sardar Masood Khan said the organisation’s diminishing role was partly linked to financial pressures and the inability of the Security Council to respond effectively to major conflicts.
He also acknowledged concerns regarding bureaucracy, budgetary management and efficiency within the UN system, but argued that these shortcomings should be addressed through reform rather than abandonment.
“The United Nations should not be buried; it needs to be strengthened,” he said, stressing that the organisation remains the principal guardian of international conventions, treaties and the multilateral system.
He said Pakistan’s recent diplomatic engagement had demonstrated that effective mediation could fill gaps when larger multilateral mechanisms were unable to act. However, he stressed that Pakistan’s diplomacy was supported by Qatar, Oman, Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and China and was not a unilateral effort.
