As Pakistan’s one-month presidency of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) comes to a close, the country is preparing to host an open debate on unresolved global disputes. While the discussion will focus on general international conflicts, reports suggest that Pakistan aims to subtly highlight the Kashmir issue without directly naming it.

According to The Times of India, Islamabad is expected to follow the debate with a UNSC resolution encouraging peaceful methods for resolving disputes among nations.

Cautious Strategy to Avoid Veto Over Kashmir

Although Pakistan wants to bring attention to Jammu and Kashmir, it is unlikely to mention the region explicitly in the proposed resolution. Officials fear that doing so could trigger a veto from permanent members of the Security Council.

For any resolution to pass, it must receive at least nine votes and no veto from the five permanent members: the United States, United Kingdom, France, Russia, and China. Since most of these nations, except China, consider Kashmir a bilateral issue between India and Pakistan, Pakistan plans to keep the resolution broad and neutral in tone.

Ishaq Dar to Chair Debate at UN Headquarters

Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Ishaq Dar, will travel to New York to chair the open debate on July 22. UN Secretary-General António Guterres is also expected to brief the Security Council during the session.

The resolution Pakistan hopes to pass will likely focus on peaceful dispute resolution methods listed in Chapter VI of the UN Charter. Specifically, Article 33 of this chapter encourages countries involved in serious disagreements to settle them through negotiation, mediation, arbitration, or other peaceful methods.

Experts See Move as a General Approach

According to Syed Akbaruddin, India’s former Ambassador to the UN, “This will likely be a broad, conceptual resolution focused on general principles rather than specific issues, to avoid objections.”

By keeping the language general, Pakistan aims to gather wider support without provoking opposition. However, even within the Security Council, many countries insist that such efforts must respect national sovereignty and cannot impose solutions without the approval of all parties involved.

Part of a Broader Diplomatic Push

This open debate comes just a few months after Pakistan initiated a closed-door meeting on May 5, seeking to address tensions with India after a terrorist attack in Pahalgam.

Additionally, Pakistan is planning another high-profile event before the end of its UNSC presidency. This gathering will focus on enhancing cooperation between the United Nations and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), a 57-member body that has often supported Pakistan’s stance on Kashmir.