Pakistan on Wednesday officially began its two-year term (2025-26) as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, the world body’s power centre. “As a non-permanent member of the UNSC, Pakistan will play its active role in promoting the principles and purposes of the UN Charter, including the right to self-determination of peoples under foreign occupation,” Ambassador Munir Akram said in a post on X platform on Wednesday. “We will work with other Council members to promote peace & security,” the top Pakistani envoy added. A formal flag raising ceremony for the new members of the Council -Pakistan, Denmark, Greece, Panama and Somalia – will take place on January 2 (tomorrow) at the UN headquarters in New York. The new members replaced Japan, Ecuador, Malta, Mozambique and Switzerland whose terms ended on December 31, 2024. Pakistan will also preside over the 15-member Council in July when it assumes its presidency according to alphabetical rotation of the member states’ official names. This will allow Islamabad to set the Security Council’s agenda. In addition to this, Pakistan will get a seat on the Islamic State (ISIS) and Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee, which is responsible for designating individuals and groups as terrorists and imposing sanctions. This is Pakistan’s eight term on the Council. The country’s previous terms on the UNSC were in 2012-13, 2003-04, 1993-94, 1983-84, 1976-77, 1968-69, and 1952-53. Over the decades, Pakistan has played an active role in promoting the principles and purposes of the UN Charter and made significant contributions to international peace and security, including its role as one of the leading troop-contributing countries to UN peacekeeping missions across the world. Pakistan, which was elected to the UN Security Council by the General Assembly in June 2024, has replaced Japan on the Asian seat. Ambassador Akram reaffirmed Pakistan’s dedication to strengthening international peace and security during its tenure on the Council, pledging to actively participate in addressing both global and regional challenges.