UNITED NATIONS: Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmed has warned that the financial crisis facing the United Nations was directly affecting peacekeeping missions.
He was addressing the opening session of the UN’s Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations. Ambassador Iftikhar noted that the lack of adequate funding had led to reduced patrols, limited mobility, and decreased field presence, resulting in serious consequences for mandate implementation, civilian protection, violence prevention, and the safety and security of peacekeepers.
Ambassador Iftikhar added that UN peacekeeping missions are essential for the maintenance of international peace and security, but these missions are currently facing increasing political, operational, and financial pressures. He stressed the need for collective reflection and effective action to address these challenges.
Pakistan, as one of the longest-serving contributors to UN peacekeeping operations, has hosted one of the oldest peacekeeping missions – the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan.
Over the last six decades, Pakistan has been one of the largest and most consistent contributors of personnel to peacekeeping missions, providing over 250,000 peacekeepers across 48 missions on four continents. Ambassador Iftikhar paid tribute to the 182 Pakistani peacekeepers who have lost their lives while serving under the UN flag.
He said while some missions have transitioned or concluded in recent years, no new peacekeeping mission has been established in over a decade, despite rising global instability and the highest levels of conflict since the Second World War.
The reliance on non-UN and temporary missions, he argued, demonstrates the continued need for peacekeeping operations. The core issue, he stated, lies not in the relevance of peacekeeping, but in the political will and collective commitment of UN member states.
Ambassador Iftikhar stressed the importance of maintaining the legal status of peacekeeping missions, which relies on universal participation, a structured and predictable financial system, robust command and control, logistics, and accountability.
Unfortunately, predictable financial resources, once the UN’s greatest strength, have now become its largest challenge, with military and civilian personnel being reduced across various missions under emergency measures.
