ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Wednesday warned that United Nations peacekeeping efforts were at a crossroads, strained by widening geopolitical rifts and financial pressures, even as they remain one of the most cost-effective means of maintaining international stability and require urgent multilateral support.
The remarks were made by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar during the closing session of a high-level peacekeeping preparatory meeting co-hosted by Pakistan and the Republic of Korea in Islamabad.
UN peacekeeping, a flagship effort to help countries navigate the path from conflict to peace, deploys over 70,000 personnel worldwide. Pakistan has long been one of its top troop contributors, with over 235,000 personnel having served in 48 missions over the past six decades.
“The threat to multilateralism, rising unilateralism and financial pressures are straining the sustainability and effectiveness of UN peacekeeping operations, underscoring the urgent need to revitalize multilateral cooperation and adapting peacekeeping to a rapidly evolving global landscape,” Dar said.
“The Security Council must provide unified and consistent support to all peace operations,” he added. “Mandates must be clear, focused and grounded in field realities.”
Dar also called for greater inclusion of troop-contributing countries in mission design, better resourcing aligned with mandates, accountability for attacks on peacekeepers and stronger regional partnerships, including with the African Union and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.
Over the two-day conference, participants explored the use of advanced technologies, such as drones, counter-improvised explosive device (IED) systems and simulation-based training, to enhance the safety and performance of peacekeepers.
Dar said credible deterrence and accountability were necessary to protect personnel in increasingly complex and hostile environments.
He also paid tribute to the 4,423 peacekeepers from over 130 countries who have lost their lives in the line of duty, including 181 Pakistanis.
Dar reiterated Pakistan’s support for the UN Charter and the need for peacekeeping to be part of a broader political strategy that addresses the root causes of conflict.
He emphasized that without inclusive political solutions, peacekeeping can only offer temporary relief.
Pakistan says UN peacekeeping at a crossroads, urges revitalized multilateral action
https://arab.news/2kb5g
Pakistan says UN peacekeeping at a crossroads, urges revitalized multilateral action
- Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar asks Security Council to provide unified support to all peace operations
- He describes UN peacekeeping as one of the most cost-effective means of maintaining international stability
China’s mediation eases fighting between Pakistan, Afghanistan — sources
- China’s envoy shuttles between Pakistan and Afghanistan to mediate in conflict
- Gulf countries that mediated in the past embroiled in Middle East conflict
ISLAMABAD/BEIJING: Chinese mediation efforts, including a message from President Xi Jinping, have helped ease the worst fighting between Pakistan and Afghanistan since the Taliban returned to power in 2021, three Pakistani government officials said.
The officials said a meeting between the Chinese ambassador to Pakistan, Jiang Zaidong, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif late last month included a message from Xi to cease hostilities.
Neither side has reported any Pakistani air strikes on Afghanistan in recent days and ground fighting along the 2,600-km (1,600-mile) border has tapered off, although daily clashes continue to be reported.
China has said it is in contact with both countries about ending hostilities but Mosharraf Zaidi, a spokesman for Sharif who has previously said there would not be any talks with the Taliban, did not respond to questions about Beijing’s efforts.
Pakistani security officials have said the military campaign will continue until desired goals were achieved, which was to prevent militant attacks in Pakistan launched from Afghan soil.
Pakistan’s foreign ministry and military did not respond to Reuters requests for comment.
Islamabad launched air strikes on Afghanistan on February 26, saying the Taliban were providing a safe haven to militants carrying out attacks in Pakistan. Kabul denies the charge and says militancy in Pakistan is an internal problem.
The Chinese efforts came as Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye, who hosted talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan during previous clashes in October, have been embroiled in the war in the Middle East following the US and Israeli strikes on Iran.
“China’s Special Envoy for Afghanistan Affairs is currently shuttling between the two countries to mediate, while Chinese embassies in both nations maintain close communication with the respective parties,” the Chinese foreign ministry told Reuters in an email.
“The most urgent task is to prevent the fighting from expanding and for the two countries to return to the negotiating table as soon as possible.”
The foreign ministry added that Foreign Minister Wang Yi held telephone talks with Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Tuesday to discuss the conflict.
China’s ambassador to Kabul, Zhao Xing, and the special envoy Yue Xiaoyong met Afghanistan’s acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi this week, the Afghan foreign ministry said in a statement.
Afghanistan and Pakistan have said they inflicted heavy damage on the other in the conflict and killed hundreds of opposition troops, without providing evidence. Reuters has not been able to verify the reports.
Beijing, a longtime Pakistani ally, has invested heavily in mines and minerals in both nations.
The investments include over $65 billion in road, rail and other development projects in Pakistan, part of Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative to expand land and sea trade routes to Europe and Africa.
