Pakistan urges UN Peacebuilding Commission to address situations in Kashmir, Afghanistan

New York: Pakistan has urged the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC), the UN body that supports peace efforts in conflict-affected countries, to expand its coverage to include Afghanistan and Jammu and Kashmir.

“Peacebuilding is a growth industry,” Ambassador Munir Akram told the UN General Assembly which debated the annual report on the 31-member Peacebuilding Commission and the Peacebuilding Fund.

The Pakistani envoy, recognizing the increasing demands of the Peacebuilding Commission, said its financial resources are only half of what is required.

“Yet we must acknowledge that the PBC’s coverage is not universal,” he said.

“Significant situations such as in Afghanistan and in Jammu and Kashmir are not among those addressed by the Peacebuilding Commission,” Ambassador Akram added.

The Commission, he said, must remain responsive to national priorities and enhance national ownership and regional cooperation, while spotlighting its advisory role.

While the Commission advice must be substantive, it should receive bottom-up information and analysis from the Government, the resident coordinator and other stakeholders on country-specific situations.

Further, the Pakistani envoy expressed support for expanding finances through additional and innovative sources, while observing that a percentage of peacekeeping budget funds should be kept for peacebuilding towards the end of peacekeeping mandates.

In addition, the Peacekeeping Fund should be deployed for peacebuilding only; development funds should not be used for this purpose, Ambassador Akram emphasized.

The Commission’s performance, he said, should be evaluated on the basis of actual outcomes rather than the number of meetings and engagements.

Most other speakers, underlining the importance of the Commission, spotlighted the value of national experience and ownership, along with the need for adequate funding.

The President of the General Assembly, Csaba Korosi, underscoring the importance of joint efforts before conflict erupts, said: “Peace cannot be kept by force.”

Unless Member States place conflict prevention at the core of their peace efforts, the 2030 promise for a safe, sustainable future “will slip beyond the reach of many”, he stressed.

Emphasizing that, 18 years after its creation, the Peacebuilding Commission is strategically placed to keep pace with evolving threats, the president encouraged the entity to make greater use of its advisory functions.