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Pakistan has told the United Nations to make mediation a central pillar of conflict prevention rather than a mechanism employed only after crises emerge amid rising tensions in the Middle East and ongoing diplomatic initiatives related to the US-Iran conflict.
The call was made by Pakistan's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, during the UN General Debate on enhancing the role of mediation in the peaceful settlement of disputes, as well as in conflict prevention and resolution.
"Peaceful settlement of disputes remains a cornerstone of Pakistan's foreign policy and a solemn obligation under the UN Charter," he said, adding, "The true test of our commitment to peace is not how we condemn conflicts after they break out, but how proactively we prevent them in the first place."
Describing mediation as an essential instrument for peace, he said: "Mediation is the bridge between confrontation and peace. It enables diplomacy to further its noble purpose to replace force with reason, silence with dialogue, and human suffering with justice."
"Conflicts arise when diplomacy is delayed, dialogue is avoided, and disputes are allowed to fester," he said, stressing that the UN's first responsibility was not only to respond to conflicts after they erupt but also to prevent them before they destroy lives, regions and generations."
Ambassador Ahmad also referred to UN Security Council Resolution 2788, presented by Pakistan and adopted unanimously in July 2025.
He said the resolution reaffirmed the centrality of Chapter VI, encouraged the effective use of mediation and good offices, and underscored the role of the United Nations and regional organisations in the peaceful settlement of disputes.
According to the envoy, the same belief has guided Pakistan's diplomatic conduct, including during the recent crisis in the Middle East.
"As a friendly neighbour of Iran, a brotherly partner of the Gulf countries, and a country with longstanding ties of amity with the United States, Pakistan continues to make sincere efforts to facilitate a durable solution for regional and global peace and stability," he said.
Outlining Pakistan's proposals to strengthen mediation efforts, the ambassador called for mediation to begin early through enhanced early warning systems, preventive diplomacy, the secretary-general's good offices and proactive use of Chapter VI mechanisms.
He also stressed the need to anchor mediation in international law and the UN Charter, address the root causes of conflicts, strengthen the UN mediation architecture through predictable funding and deeper partnerships, and encourage parties to view mediation as a responsibility to their people and international peace.
Pakistan, he added, would continue to uphold mediation at the heart of collective efforts aimed at peaceful settlement, conflict prevention and conflict resolution.
Separately, Ambassador Ahmad told the UNSC that around 2,000 square kilometres of Lebanon, nearly 20% of the country, was currently under what he described as illegal Israeli occupation, warning that evacuation orders were causing severe suffering for civilians.
He made these remarks during a UNSC emergency meeting on the situation in Lebanon.
"It seems it is the same strategy, the same playbook that we have seen elsewhere: indiscriminate killing, forced displacement, and occupation," the envoy said, addressing the council.
According to the figures cited, since March this year, more than 3,400 people, including women and children, have been killed, while over 10,000 have been injured. More than one million people have been displaced.
The envoy also referred to comments by the UN humanitarian coordinator, noting that civilians across Lebanon are facing what it described as an "appalling escalation of violence, displacement, and human loss".
