Pakistan’s national flag was installed outside the UN Security Council Chamber on Thursday as Pakistan began its eighth term as a non-permanent member (2025-26) of the 15-member body.
As part of the accession ceremony, the flags of the five new incoming non-permanent members – Pakistan, along with Denmark, Greece, Panama and Somalia – were installed at the UNSC Stakeout at UN Headquarters in New York.
The new members replaced Japan, Ecuador, Malta, Mozambique and Switzerland, whose terms ended on 31 December 2024.
Pakistan’s Alternate Permanent Representative, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, installed the national flag as part of an impressive ceremony.
In his brief remarks, he said that Pakistan will continue to adhere to the objectives and principles of the UN Charter including the maintenance of international peace and security and the development of friendly relations among nations based on the principle of equal rights and self-determination.
“Pakistan will always remain a strong voice for peoples under foreign occupation and oppression and for the realization of their right to self-determination,” Ambassador Ahmad said.
Pakistan, he said, was convinced that cooperative multilateralism—with the United Nations at its core—was the best way to deal with today’s multilateral challenges.
“We must seriously address the root causes of long-standing and emerging conflicts, prioritize dialogue and diplomacy, and promote confidence-building at the regional and global levels – to reduce tensions, stop the arms race, and create an environment conducive to peace and stability. and development,” said the Pakistani envoy.
Pakistan, he said, would work with other members to actively seek just and peaceful solutions to issues on the Council’s agenda, and would seek to make optimal use of the tools at our disposal – from conflict prevention to peacekeeping to peacebuilding – to achieve lasting peace. .
“Our success lies in upholding the UN Charter and international law at all times and ensuring the effective implementation of the Security Council’s own decisions,” Ambassador Ahmad said.
“Never forgetting our grave duty to the millions of men, women and children suffering from conflict, Pakistan accepts this responsibility, fully committed to our joint efforts for a more peaceful and secure world.”
Pakistan will chair the 15-member Council in July, when it will assume its presidency in alphabetical rotation of the official names of member states. This will allow Islamabad to set the agenda of the Security Council.
In addition, 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.
The Security Council has 15 members, of which five – Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States – are permanent. The 10 non-permanent seats on the Council are divided by geographic region, with five rotating each year.
The Security Council is considered the most powerful body of the United Nations. Tasked with maintaining international peace and security, the Council can make legally binding decisions and has the power to impose sanctions and authorize the use of force against states.
The tradition of the flag installation ceremony was introduced by Kazakhstan in 2018.
Kazakhstan’s Permanent Representative Kairat Umarov, who presided over the ceremony, expressed his belief that the five new council members will bring great depth and focus on pressing issues of global peace and security.
“As the new year begins, it is clear that the global situation continues to be marked by a number of challenges and crises, from ongoing conflicts and humanitarian disasters to the negative effects of climate change and pandemics.”
