New York (TDI): Pakistan has renewed its push at the United Nations for strengthening international law and reforming the Security Council, cautioning that selective adherence to treaties and the rise of parallel diplomatic forums could weaken the world body at a time of escalating global tensions.
Addressing the International Law Year in Review 2026 Conference, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, warned that the uneven application of international legal obligations was eroding the foundations of the collective security system established after the Second World War.
He stressed that international law could not survive if states chose which rules to follow. “There should be no room for selective compliance or legal exceptionalism,” the ambassador said, calling for a more principled and consistent application of the UN Charter to preserve the rules-based international order.
Linking the debate on international law to the Security Council’s performance, Ambassador Asim said growing divisions among major powers had increasingly hampered the Council’s ability to act. He pointed to the unanimous adoption of Security Council Resolution 2788 during Pakistan’s presidency last July as a rare but important reminder that consensus was still achievable.
Read More: Pakistan Calls for a Revitalized United Nations at 80th Anniversary
The resolution, he noted, reaffirmed the peaceful settlement of disputes and demonstrated that meaningful cooperation remained possible despite deep geopolitical rivalries.
The ambassador also voiced concern over what he described as a troubling disregard for binding international agreements. Referring to India’s decision to place the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance, he said such unilateral actions undermined trust in international law and posed risks to regional stability.
On the long-running issue of Security Council reform, Pakistan reiterated its opposition to proposals that would expand permanent membership or entrench veto powers. Ambassador Asim argued that reform should not deepen existing structural imbalances but instead strengthen the role and influence of elected members, who represent the broader UN membership.
He further highlighted the growing challenges posed by emerging technologies, saying the UN must take the lead in developing legal frameworks for areas such as artificial intelligence, cyber operations and autonomous weapons systems.
Read More: Pakistan, Seven Muslim Nations Agree to Join Trump’s Proposed Board of Peace
Commending the work of the International Court of Justice and the International Law Commission, he called for the continued development of international law to ensure that new domains of conflict do not remain unregulated.
Despite criticism of the UN’s effectiveness, Ambassador Asim said the organisation continued to enjoy widespread legitimacy. He noted that most member states remained committed to multilateralism and believed that reform and renewal, rather than sidelining the UN, offered the best path forward.
