UNITED NATIONS, Jan 28: Pakistan informed the UN Security Council on Wednesday that it has joined the US-led Board of Peace (BoP), endorsing its mandate under the 15-member body’s Resolution 2803. This resolution reaffirms a commitment to efforts aimed at achieving lasting peace based on Palestinian self-determination and statehood in accordance with international law.
Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, Pakistan’s permanent representative to the UN, stated during a Middle East debate, including the Palestinian question, which coincided with the announcement of the 26-member Board, "The international community, particularly this Council, bears the responsibility to translate renewed engagement into measurable change on the ground for the betterment of the Palestinian people."
He highlighted that the unresolved Palestinian question remains central to instability in the Middle East, stressing that decades of Israeli occupation have resulted in dispossession, repression, and the denial of Palestinians’ right to self-determination.
Referring to the second phase of the Peace Plan, including the establishment of the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG) and the BoP and Executive Committees as "important steps," the Pakistani envoy emphasized that these measures should help consolidate the ceasefire, secure a permanent cessation of hostilities, facilitate transitional arrangements, enable recovery and reconstruction, ensure large-scale humanitarian assistance, and prepare the ground for a sustainable political process towards Palestinian self-determination and statehood.
Concurrently, Ambassador Asim Ahmad conveyed deep concern over the fragile situation in Gaza, where ceasefire violations persist, putting civilian lives at risk. "Increased pressure on international humanitarian organizations, including deregistration measures and restrictions, impair assistance and protection for the most vulnerable," he said.
The Pakistani envoy also strongly condemned Israel’s continued attacks on UN premises and UNRWA, its agency for Palestinian assistance, including the recent demolition of a UN compound in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of occupied East Jerusalem. He stated that such actions undermine stabilization efforts and threaten the limited progress achieved so far. "UNRWA’s operations remain essential and must be safeguarded," he emphasized.
Ambassador Asim Ahmad noted that Pakistan, along with other Arab and Islamic countries in the group of eight, has joined the Board of Peace in support of its mandate as endorsed by Security Council Resolution 2803. He referred to a joint statement issued by the group’s foreign ministers, reiterating their support for peace efforts led by US President Donald Trump.
In the statement, the foreign ministers reaffirmed their commitment to implementing the Peace Board’s mission as a transitional administration set out in the Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict, endorsed by Resolution 2803. This plan aims to consolidate a permanent ceasefire, support Gaza’s reconstruction, and advance a just and lasting peace grounded in the Palestinian right to self-determination and statehood, in line with international law, thereby paving the way for security and stability for all countries and peoples of the region.
In this regard, Ambassador Asim Ahmad expressed hope that the BoP, under the framework of Resolution 2803, will lead to concrete steps towards implementing a permanent ceasefire, further scaling up humanitarian aid, Gaza’s reconstruction, and realizing the Palestinians’ right to self-determination through a credible, time-bound political process, aligned with international legitimacy and relevant UN resolutions. This effort aims to result in an independent, sovereign, and contiguous state of Palestine based on pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds and Al-Sharif as its capital.
"That is the ultimate goal supported by the international community. Palestinian-led governance and institutional strengthening, with a central role for the Palestinian Authority, are indispensable in this regard," the Pakistani envoy added.
