Pak begins two-year term at top UN body to oppose reform sought by India

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Pakistan today replaced Japan for a seat at the world's topmost diplomatic body - the UN Security Council. Islamabad will occupy one of the two seats from the Asia-Pacific region (South Korea being the other) for two years starting today.


Pakistan will also preside over the council in July when it will be the Chair. This will allow Islamabad to set the United Nations Security Council agenda. In addition to this, Islamabad finds itself holding another crucial post after it secured a seat on the Islamic State (ISIS) and Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee, which is responsible for designating individuals and groups as terrorists and imposing sanctions.


This new two-year tenure as a non-permanent member would be Pakistan's eighth term at the top UN body. It comes at a significant time, when central and west Asia is experiencing political and humanitarian crises - the war in Gaza, crisis in Lebanon, heightened tensions between Israel and Iran, the regime change in Syria, and the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia, to name a few.


Europe too is reeling under severe economic strain of the years-long Russia-Ukraine war. In East Asia, there are serious concerns over China's threat to Taiwan and North Korea's military rise while South Korea is imploding from one of its worst political crises. China also has serious differences with Philippines and Vietnam leading to naval face-offs.


But perhaps the most obvious of Pakistan's agendas will be to rake up its rhetoric about Kashmir. Islamabad's envoy to the United Nations has already hinted this in his remarks after Pakistan assumed the seat at the UN Security Council. "We will continue to highlight" the Kashmir issue "and push for concrete steps from the international community," said Pakistan's UN Ambassador Munir Akram.


As a non-permanent member of the Security Council, Pakistan will not have veto rights, but it will have a significant say in matters such as designating terrorists and wield influence over the sanctions committee.


Pakistan's two-year term also coincides with talks to reform the UN Security Council with India aiming to become a permanent member with full veto rights. Islamabad will likely do all it can to hinder the process and push back New Delhi's attempts to gain a rightful seat at the council. India, being the world's most populous nation, and one of the leading global economies, with a proven track-record has been persisting for the "much-needed reforms".


Islamabad has already said that it will strongly oppose the addition of any new permanent members, and will favour the expansion of the non-permanent category instead.


Islamabad has also said that as one of the five non-permanent members of the Security Council from the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation or OIC countries, Pakistan will aim to become the 'Voice of the Muslim World', quite like India being the 'Voice of the Global South'.