LACHIN (AZERBAIJAN): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has called on the international community to closely examine the evolving challenges faced by United Nations peacekeeping missions, reaffirming Pakistan’s unwavering support for efforts aimed at strengthening global peace operations.
In his message on the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers, being observed today, the Prime Minister highlighted critical concerns such as growing unilateralism, financial limitations, rising threats to the safety and security of peacekeepers, misinformation campaigns targeting UN operations, and the implications of emerging technologies.
"This day offers a timely opportunity to evaluate these pressing issues," he stated, emphasizing the need for collective action to uphold the integrity and effectiveness of peacekeeping missions.
Prime Minister Shehbaz further noted that the day serves not only to honour the sacrifices of UN peacekeepers in pursuit of global peace and security but also to recognize their crucial role in fostering a peaceful, stable, and prosperous world.
He highlighted that during the last seven decades of UN peacekeeping history, over 235,000 Pakistani peacekeepers have served in 48 UN missions globally and a total of 181 Pakistani peacekeepers had sacrificed their lives for international peace and security.
The prime minister, who is currently in Azerbaijan on the third leg of his four-country visit, called upon the international community to reaffirm its commitment to the policies of the United Nations in maintaining global peace and security, and to double efforts to adapt UN peacekeeping to meet these rapidly evolving challenges.
He recalled that Pakistan and the Republic of Korea co-hosted the United Nations Peacekeeping Ministerial meeting in Islamabad on April 15–16, 2025 with a theme “Towards a Safer and More Effective Peacekeeping: Leveraging Technology and Integrated Approaches.”
Stressing the need to strengthen the role and presence of UNMOGIP, he said that Pakistan also hosted the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP), one of the oldest UN peacekeeping missions, mandated to monitor the ceasefire along the Line of Control in the UN-recognized disputed territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
Prime Minister Shehbaz said that the recent developments in South Asia had highlighted the need for a just resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the United Nations Security Council resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people.
