UNITED NATIONS, 26 MAY (DNA) — Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Senator Ishaq Dar, flew into New York from Beijing late Monday evening on a three-day visit during which he will take part in important United Nations’ meetings and hold bilateral talks with his counterparts and top UN officials.
He was received at Kennedy International airport by Pakistan’s UN Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad and Consul General in New York, Aamir Ahmed Atozai and other mission and consulate officials. Dar will take part in the UN Security Council’s open debate themed “Maintenance of International Peace and Security: Upholding the Purposes and Principles of the UN Charter and Strengthening the UN-centred International System.”
The debate will be chaired by Foreign Minister Wang Yi of China, which holds the 15-member Council’s presidency for the month of May. The high-level debate is China’s ‘signature event’, and its Ambassador Fu Cong said Beijing’s first priority is to revitalize the authority of the UN Charter and the role of the world body.
In recent years, the world has been witnessing growing turbulence in the international landscape, with conflicts increasing, divisions widening and the multilateral system, along with international law, under considerable strain, he said at a briefing at the start of this month.
In this regards, the Chinese envoy urged the international community to take urgent actions to uphold the authority of the UN Charter and reinforce the role of the United Nations to prevent the world from “relapsing into the jungle” and “to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war.”
On its part, Pakistan welcomed this timely initiative by China, which highlights the importance of strengthening multilateralism and upholding the central role of the United Nations in addressing today’s complex global challenges.
On Thursday, Dar is scheduled to attend a meeting of the Group of Friends on Global Governance. The theme of the meeting is “Reforming and Improving Global Governance, Working Together to Address Global Challenges.”The group comprises 43 countries — including China, Pakistan and Palestine among others — and was formed in December last year as a platform to mobilize joint efforts to improve the global governance system.
The group focuses on safeguarding the UN Charter, promoting multilateralism, and increasing the representation of Global South countries. It is based on five core tenets proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping: sovereign equality, the international rule of law, multilateralism, a people-centered approach, and taking tangible action.
“Pakistan remains a steadfast supporter of multilateralism and stands ready to contribute constructively to collective efforts for global peace, security, and development,” a foreign ministry press release said. Dar will address a press briefing on Thursday before departing for home.— DNA
