UN: Pakistan has intensified its push at the United Nations for strengthening international law and reforming the Security Council, warning that selective adherence to treaties and the rise of parallel diplomatic initiatives are eroding the UN’s authority at a time of escalating global conflicts.
Speaking at the “International Law Year in Review 2026 Conference” on Thursday, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, said uneven application of international law and the weakening of treaty obligations were undermining the foundations of collective security established after World War II.“There must be no space for selective compliance or legal exceptionalism,” the ambassador said, stressing that the principles of the UN Charter must be applied “more consistently, more courageously and more faithfully” if the rules-based international order is to endure.
Ambassador Asim directly linked the state of international law to the functioning of the Security Council, noting that deep divisions among major powers had increasingly paralysed the body. He pointed to the unanimous adoption of Resolution 2788 during Pakistan’s presidency of the Council in July last year as a rare but important example of what could still be achieved within the UN framework.
The resolution, he said, reaffirmed the centrality of peaceful dispute resolution and showed that consensus remained possible despite geopolitical rivalries. He also warned that disregard for binding international agreements posed a serious challenge to the UN system.
Referring to India’s unilateral decision to place the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance, Ambassador Asim described such actions as part of a “disturbing trend” that weakened confidence in international law and threatened regional stability.
On the long-pending issue of Security Council reform, Pakistan reiterated its opposition to proposals that would expand permanent membership or further entrench veto powers. Any reform, the ambassador argued, should not “exacerbate the fundamental flaws entrenched in permanent membership and veto” but instead enhance the influence of elected members, whose voices better reflect the broader UN membership.
Ambassador Asim also highlighted the expanding UN agenda in emerging technologies, calling for a stronger role for the organisation in shaping legal norms on artificial intelligence, cyber operations and autonomous weapons.
Commending the work of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the International Law Commission (ILC), he urged the “progressive development of international law” to ensure that new domains of conflict do not remain unregulated. Despite widespread criticism of the UN’s effectiveness, the ambassador said the organisation continued to enjoy broad legitimacy. “The vast majority of member states have deep faith in the UN and multilateralism,” he said, emphasising that reform and renewal — not marginalisation — were the path forward.
Diplomatic discussions at the UN this week echoed similar concerns, with several delegations privately cautioning against the proliferation of ad hoc mechanisms operating outside established UN processes, even when presented as complementary.
Earlier on Thursday, Pakistan joined 19 other countries in endorsing the charter of a proposed “Board of Peace,” an initiative led by US President Donald Trump. While Washington has said the body would work in conjunction with the UN, diplomats noted that it could potentially supplement — or complicate — the UN’s role in maintaining international peace and security.
For many at the UN, the key question remains whether new initiatives can reinforce — rather than dilute — the organisation’s authority at a moment when conflicts in Gaza, Ukraine and elsewhere have already placed unprecedented strain on the multilateral system.
