Pakistan on Monday called on the international community to treat mediation as the first line of defence against war, saying delayed diplomacy and neglected disputes often turn political crises into conflicts that consume lives, regions and generations.
Speaking during a UN General Assembly debate on strengthening mediation in the peaceful settlement of disputes, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, argued that the world body’s responsibility was not confined to responding after wars erupt but to preventing them before violence spreads.
“Conflicts are not inevitable. They are often the result of diplomacy delayed, dialogue denied, and disputes left to fester,” Ahmad told the Assembly.
His remarks came as Pakistan continues to call for restraint and diplomacy in the Middle East, where tensions involving Iran and the United States have raised fears of a wider regional confrontation. Islamabad has sought to present itself as a country with the diplomatic access and regional stakes needed to support de-escalation.
“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.
Ahmad stressed that mediation should not be reserved for moments when fighting has already begun. “Mediation must become the guiding principle of prevention, not an instrument of crisis management,” he added, a message also amplified on his social media account.
To make mediation more meaningful, he called for greater investment in early warning systems, quiet diplomacy, preventive engagement, the good offices of the UN secretary-general and wider use of Chapter VI of the UN Charter, which deals with the peaceful settlement of disputes.
Pakistan also cited Security Council Resolution 2788, adopted unanimously in July 2025 on Islamabad’s initiative, as evidence of its push to strengthen the UN’s dispute-resolution role. The resolution reaffirmed Chapter VI, encouraged mediation and good offices, and recognised the contribution of regional and subregional organisations to peaceful settlement.
The ambassador maintained that mediation must be anchored in international law and address root causes rather than merely contain symptoms. “Lasting peace cannot be built on denial of rights, including the right to self-determination, normalisation of foreign occupation, aggression and violation of treaties,” he said.
He also urged predictable funding for the UN Mediation Support Unit and stronger cooperation between the UN and regional organisations.
Later, at an emergency Security Council meeting on Ukraine convened at Romania’s request, Ahmad warned that protracted wars increase the risk of miscalculation, spillover and wider confrontation, cautioning against reliance on military solutions.
Pakistan, he noted, viewed the early resumption of US-facilitated dialogue as the most credible way forward.
“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,” Ahmad told member states.
“Mediation is the bridge between confrontation and peace.”