UNITED NATIONS, Friday, January 16, 2026 (WNP): The Permanent Mission of Pakistan to the United Nations, in collaboration with Global Peace Chain, a nonprofit organization focused on peace-building and youth empowerment, on Friday hosted a high-level discussion titled “The UN Charter at 80: Conflict Prevention and Resolution” at UN Headquarters.
The event drew wide participation from diplomats representing numerous UN missions, alongside youth leaders, women, academics, and civil society representatives, underscoring broad-based interest in the future of multilateralism amid mounting global conflicts.
Speakers at the session reaffirmed the enduring relevance of the UN Charter as a foundational framework for international peace and security, emphasizing its principles of sovereign equality, peaceful settlement of disputes, and collective responsibility for conflict prevention.
Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, delivered the opening and closing remarks, highlighting Pakistan’s consistent support for a rules-based international order and inclusive multilateralism. He underscored the need to reinvigorate commitment to the Charter’s principles at a time of escalating geopolitical tensions and protracted conflicts across multiple regions.
The discussion featured senior UN officials and international representatives, including Ms. Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee, Assistant Secretary-General for Africa; Dr. Felipe Paullier, Assistant Secretary-General for Youth Affairs; Ambassador Ahmet Yıldız of Türkiye; Ambassador Elina Kalkku of Finland; Ms. Elyse Mosquini, Permanent Observer of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC); and Mr. Jonah Harris, Policy Analyst at the International Peace Institute’s Peace, Climate and Sustainable Development Program.
Ambassadors and permanent representatives from Austria, Azerbaijan, China, Cambodia, Egypt, Cuba, Slovenia, and Timor-Leste, along with distinguished delegates from Qatar, Indonesia, Venezuela, and Russia, also shared perspectives on strengthening preventive diplomacy, enhancing mediation mechanisms, and ensuring greater participation of youth and civil society in peace processes.
The session was moderated by Ms. Saima Saleem, Counsellor at the Permanent Mission of Pakistan, while Kamran Zafar, Chief Executive Officer of Global Peace Chain, delivered the vote of thanks, emphasizing the importance of engaging younger generations in upholding the values and objectives of the UN Charter.
The dialogue formed part of broader reflections ahead of the 80th anniversary of the United Nations, reinforcing calls for renewed political will to address conflicts through cooperation, dialogue, and adherence to international law.
