ISLAMABAD: Underlining that peacekeeping alone is not enough to secure lasting peace, Pakistan has highlighted the need for integrating peacebuilding from the outset, stating that the transition from peacekeeping to peacebuilding, and ultimately to nationally led development, requires sustained political commitment, adequate resources, and coherent support from the international community.
Taking part in the UN General Assembly Debate on Peacebuilding and Sustaining Peace, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, permanent representative of Pakistan to the UN, said that it was 20 years that the Peacebuilding Commission was established to help countries emerge from conflict by consolidating peace and preventing relapse.
“It seems that now, there is less peace to keep, and lesser even to build. And there is a scramble for resources that are becoming scarce. We must therefore assess the whole situation seriously and holistically to deliver the promise of peacebuilding,” he said.
2025 Peacebuilding Architecture Review
He said that peace is not an event but rather a continuum from conflict prevention to peacemaking and peacekeeping to post conflict recovery and peacebuilding, which he said, are often interconnected and mutually reinforcing.
Welcoming the outcomes of the 2025 Peacebuilding Architecture Review (PBAR) facilitated by Egypt and Slovenia, he asked for the emphasis to be placed on national ownership, stronger links between the Peacebuilding Commission and the principal organs of the United Nations, enhanced follow-up, and improved coherence across the UN system.
He said that we must remain focused on that central purpose before us: helping countries prevent conflict, sustain peace, and avoid relapse, adding that Pakistan will continue to work with all Member States to advance this shared objective.
Troop-contributing country
Ambassador Asim said that Pakistan recognizes the important contribution of the Peacebuilding Fund, adding that experiences shared by countries with UN peacebuilding programs, illustrate the practical difference that timely and flexible peacebuilding support can make on the ground.
Describing the sustained support for peacebuilding financing as essential, he said that Pakistan, as one of the largest troop-contributing countries to UN peace operations, and a founding member of the Peacebuilding Commission, has witnessed first-hand the importance of linking security gains with institution-building, reconciliation, and socio-economic recovery.
“We commend the growing role of the Commission particularly the country specific configurations, as platform for dialogue, partnership-building, and resource mobilization,” he said.
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