NEW YORK – The Pakistani national flag was installed in front of the United Nations Security Council chamber, as the South Asian country began its eighth term as a non-permanent member of the body.
As part of the joining ceremony, flags of the five new incoming non-permanent members — Pakistan, along with Denmark, Greece, Panama and Somalia — were installed at UNSC’s stakeout at the UN Headquarters in New York.
The new members replaced Japan, Ecuador, Malta, Mozambique and Switzerland whose terms ended on December 31, 2024.
Pakistan’s Alternate Permanent Representative, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, installed the national flag as part of the impressive ceremony.
In his brief remarks, he said that Pakistan will continue to be guided by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter including maintenance of international peace and security and development of friendly relations among nations based on the principle of equal rights and self-determination.
“Pakistan will always remain a strong voice for peoples under foreign occupation and oppression and for the realization of their right to self-determination,” Ambassador Ahmad said.
Pakistan, he said, was convinced that cooperative multilateralism – with the UN at its core – was the best way of tackling today’s multifaceted challenges.
“We need to earnestly address the root causes of long-outstanding and new conflicts, prioritize dialogue and diplomacy, and support confidence building at regional and global levels – to reduce tensions, arrest the arms race, and enable an environment conducive for peace, stability and development,” the Pakistani envoy said.
Pakistan will preside over the 15-member Council in July when it assumes its presidency according to alphabetical rotation of the member states’ official names. This will allow Islamabad to set the Security Council’s agenda.
The Security Council has 15 members, five of which – Britain, China, France, Russia, and the United States – are permanent ones. The 10 non-permanent seats of the Council are allocated by geographic region, with five replaced each year.
