Pakistan Calls For Technology-driven UN Peacekeeping With A Human Face
Published September 19, 2026 | 01:50 PM
(UNITED NATIONS, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 19th Sep, 2026))
Pakistan has called for a strengthening of UN Peacekeeping Operations, emphasizing that the integration of advanced technologies must be utilized to modernize mandates, enhance safety, and boost operational efficiency without diminishing the physical human presence on the ground.
Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, permanent representative of Pakistan to the UN, spoke at the UN Security Council debate on Peacekeeping Operations, warning that peacekeepers are operating in increasingly complex and hostile environments with expanding tasks but shrinking resources.
He added that peacekeeping, a flagship UN activity, requires:
- Political support
- Credible mandates
- Sustainable resources
- Adequate capabilities
- Host-State cooperation
- Sustained commitment from the wider membership.
"For over six decades, Pakistan has remained amongst the largest troop contributors to UN peacekeeping," said the Pakistani envoy, noting that more than 170,000 Pakistanis have served the UN, with 183 making "the ultimate sacrifice in the cause of peace".
Pakistan is also host to the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP), which is mandated to observe ceasefire in Jammu and Kashmir.
Recalling Pakistan’s efforts in the Council to adopt presidential statements and resolutions concerning peacekeeping over the past 20 years, Ambassador Asim Ahmad said this "experience gives us a practical appreciation of what peacekeeping requires".
He stressed that today, peacekeeping is actually facing significant pressure:
- No new mission has been established since 2014.
- Several missions have closed due to intensified political and financial constraints.
- This does not reflect a decline in support for peacekeeping, which has experienced "cycles of expansion and retrenchment" since the 1960s.
As peacekeeping evolves, "focused mandates must mean better peacekeeping, not less peacekeeping", he emphasized.
"We must not start with a financial ceiling and then shrink the mission to fit it."
The Pakistani envoy added that the international community "should be careful not to dismantle the very strengths we may need again tomorrow".
At the outset, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres argued that peacekeeping must remain a political tool that supports, rather than replaces, political solutions.
He warned about:
- Complex conflicts with fewer peace agreements
- Growing attacks on civilians and peacekeepers
- Emerging technologies like drones and AI-driven disinformation
- Shrinking resources
Guterres called for a comprehensive reset of UN peace operations, outlining five priorities:
- Putting peacemaking first
- Building stronger partnerships with host States
- Adapting mandates to current realities