Pakistan Permanent Mission to the UN, NewYork

Pakistan showcased its cultural and artistic prowess at International Bazaar held at the Visitors Plaza of the United Nations today. The Pakistan stall managed by the spouses of the officers of the Mission displayed an array of cultural items such as traditional shawls, handicrafts, embroidered clothing and bangles.

Launched in 2013, the International Bazaar has grown into a cherished annual event that brings together Permanent Missions, UN staff, and the wider diplomatic community to share and experience the richness of global cultures.

The proceeds raised from the sale go to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, ensuring that assistance reaches communities affected by humanitarian crises.

Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the UN, visited the Pakistan stall.

He described the International Bazaar as an important vehicle to promote inclusivity and celebrate diversity, stating that Pakistan is proud to be part of such an endeavour. June 02, 2026

Pakistan shares the concern regarding the reduction in funding and official development assistance (ODA) and that the reform focus should primarily be on delivery and implementation and results on ground. Coordination should translate into enhancing partnerships with countries concerned and national ownership.

We host over 20 UN entities in country. Like many others, we are not immune to the funding pressures affecting the broader UN development system, as evident in the drawdown of humanitarian coordination capacity on the ground, including in Pakistan. At the same time, we appreciate that some entities, including UNDP, have maintained their country presence despite significant financial headwinds.

Statement by Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the UN, at the ECOSOC Operational Activities Segment 2026 – Session 4 Dialogue with UNDS Executive Heads. June 02, 2026

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Two thousand square kilometers, nearly 20% of Lebanon, now lies under illegal Israeli occupation. Unlawful evacuation orders are further inflicting immense suffering on civilians.

It seems it is the same strategy, the same playbook that we have seen elsewhere: indiscriminate killing, forced displacement, and occupation.

Since March this year, more than 3,400 people, including women and children, have been killed and over 10,000 injured. More than one million are displaced. As the Humanitarian Coordinator also said, civilians across Lebanon face an appalling escalation of violence, displacement, and human loss.

Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the UN, delivers a national statement at the UN Security Council Emergency Meeting on the recent situation in Lebanon. June 01, 2026

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Statement By Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad,
Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the UN,
At High-level Dialogue on the Secretary-General’s report on the Implementation of General Assembly resolution 79/226 on the QCPR, ECOSOC Operational Activities for Development Segment,
(1 June 2026)
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Mr. Vice-President, Madam Deputy Secretary-General,

Pakistan aligns itself with the G77 and China statement.

2. We thank the Secretary-General for his report. As a country hosting 25 UN entities, Pakistan values the UN development system’s support for our national development efforts.

3. We welcome progress documented across the QCPR’s thematic mandates, but note the lag in several areas. That underscores the need for a more efficient, responsive, and adequately resourced system. Against this backdrop, we offer the following comments on the UN80 structural proposals.

4. First, the QCPR must remain the guiding framework for the UN Development System and any further reform proposals under UN80.

5. Second, at the national level, we concur with the need for properly configured, context-specific country-level presence and have noted the proposed shared criteria. We require clarity on its operationalisation, measurement, and impact on programme countries. We stress that programme countries must have a significantly larger role in configuration decisions in order to ensure that country level presence is truly demand driven, an element which is lacking in the report.

6. Third, on the regional reset, we see value in co-location where it leads to demonstrable efficiency gains. However, we remain unconvinced on replacing RCPs with Regional Platforms for Integration. The QCPR Monitoring Framework shows that only 16% consider RCPs to effectively support UNCTs, and it is unclear how RPIs will differ substantively from RCPs. We need clarity on their scope, funding and governance arrangements to ensure we are not merely adding another regional institutional layer. We reiterate that DCO and the Regional Economic Commissions must stay focused on development and not venture into cross-pillar matters. Finally, surge capacity is not always an adequate substitute for country-level presence.

7. Lastly, on system funding, we are deeply concerned by the report’s findings, particularly on core resources. We call on all Member States to honour their Funding Compact commitments. Reform without resources is ambition without means.

7. We will address remaining proposals in subsequent sessions.

I thank you.

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Statement of Counsellor Syed Atif Raza
At Ninth Biennial Meeting of States on UN Program of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons (BMS-9)
(1 June 2026)
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Mr. Chair,

The illicit transfer and unchecked use of small arms and light weapons, including their destabilizing accumulation, have a direct impact on intensifying and prolonging conflicts, endangering socio-economic progress, and undermining the prospects of peace and security, particularly at the regional and sub-regional levels.

2. Small arms and light weapons have emerged as instruments of choice for non-state actors to perpetrate violence. These concerns are further exacerbated by the increasing sophistication of illicit arms and the accessibility of modernized weapons to illegal armed groups that frequently operate across national borders. Illicit arms, thus, directly threaten national security, impede counter-terrorism operations, and civilian protection.

3. Pakistan is seriously concerned about the presence of stockpiles of sophisticated arms and ammunition in Afghanistan, as also noted in the findings of the Secretary General’s reports. These weapons pose a direct threat to neighboring countries, including Pakistan.

4. We urge stronger international efforts to prevent access of illicit arms to armed terrorist groups in Afghanistan and to ensure that the Taliban adhere to their international obligations and commitments in that regard. Security Council resolution 2818 of March 2026 also called for “regional and international efforts to prevent and address the illicit trade in and destabilizing accumulation of small arms and light weapons and their diversion in Afghanistan and the region”.

Chair,

5. We firmly believe that the issue of illicit small arms and light weapons should be addressed comprehensively and in a balanced manner. The UN Program of Action strikes a balance between the legitimate security requirements of states and the imperative to address the issue of illicit arms on both the supply and demand sides. We remain committed to its implementation at the national level and call for its full ex*****on at the global level to safeguard and promote international and regional peace and security.

I thank you.

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The true test of our commitment to peace is not how we condemn conflicts after they breakout, but how proactively we prevent them in the first place. 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. Pakistan will continue to uphold mediation, at the heart of our collective efforts for peaceful settlement, conflict prevention and resolution.

Remarks by Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the UN, during the General Debate on Agenda Item 31(b): Strengthening the Role of Mediation in the Peaceful Settlement of Disputes, Conflict Prevention and Resolution. June 01, 2026

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Pakistan as well as many other countries in the UNSC Chamber have repeatedly forewarned about the potential negative consequences of a protracted conflict including its expansion and spillover effects. Conflicts, especially those that remain active for longer durations, carry a greater risk of miscalculation and escalation. Regrettably, this is a pattern that we are witnessing in this particular situation.

The reported incursion of armed drones into the airspace of neighbouring countries is alarming, and we deeply regret the reported civilian casualties, and destruction of civilian infrastructure resulting from such incidents.

Statement by Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the UN, at the UNSC emergency meeting convened on the request of Romania on alleged drone incursion. June 01, 2026

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We believe that sanctions are an important tool at the disposal of the Security Council, but they should be used judiciously, reviewed periodically, and should not become open-ended or punitive in nature.

Their purpose should be to support political solutions and stabilization efforts. We also note the African Union’s position against continued sanctions on South Sudan.

Explaining why Pakistan abstained from voting in favor of the draft resolution on South Sudan sanctions mandate renewal, Ambassador Usman Jadoon, Deputy Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the UN, said that lasting peace in South Sudan will be advanced through sustained political engagement including the implementation of the Revitalized Agreement. May 29, 2026

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First Secretary, Syed Ansar Shah, participated in the Second Conference on Peacekeeping in Francophone Environments in Rabat.

At the conference, he reaffirmed Pakistan’s strong commitment to UN peacekeeping, as a leading TCC with over 270,000 peacekeepers deployed and 183 sacrifices under the UN flag. He stressed the need for clear, realistic and adequately resourced mandates; stronger safety and security of peacekeepers; accountability for attacks against them; improved training; and partnerships that strengthen UN peacekeeping.

He thanked Morocco, France, the UN and OIF for convening the timely discussion.May 29, 2026

Recent escalation demonstrates yet again, the imperative of pacific settlement. A meaningful, and earnest commitment to dialogue and diplomacy is the only way to bring lasting peace, and help restore much needed stability in the region.

Pakistan reiterates that military means cannot bring lasting peace and will only prolong and further compound the agony of those affected by this conflict.

Statement by Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, Permanent Representative of Pakistan to UN, at the UNSC Emergency Meeting on Ukraine at the request of Ukraine

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