A NEW AGENDA FOR PEACE

In July 2023, the UN Secretary-General (UNSG) presented “A New Agenda for Peace”, a policy brief on the framework of cooperation in the field of security in the multilateral domain. The report is one of nine policy papers presented to the member states by the UNSG to draw up the foundations for a “UN Summit of the Future”, scheduled to be held in September 2024. The UNSG expressed hope that the summit will serve as an appropriate platform for global leaders to deliberate institutional reforms and tackle pressing global issues. Earlier, a UN report entitled ‘Our Common Agenda’ released in September 2021, dealt in detail with the multitude of challenges confronting humanity. The report asserts that humanity’s future hinges on working together, in harmony, to achieve collective objectives. ‘A New Agenda for Peace’ identifies priority areas and proposes desirable actions. An agreed framework is expected to emerge from intergovernmental negotiations. The first ‘Agenda for Peace’ presented in 1992, by Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali served as an important road map for the United Nations’ role in establishing stability in the post-Cold War world. In the ongoing and future intergovernmental discussions on the subject, Pakistan’s principal adversary India will make relentless efforts to secure for itself a bigger niche in multilateral institutions, particularly a permanent seat on the Security Council. India, backed by its powerful allies, will promote its strategic worldview and policies and will try to cast Pakistan in a negative light. The discussions in the United Nations on the issues of peace and security are vitally important for Pakistan. In light of the myriad and complex threats to Pakistan’s security, this research paper will examine the UNSG’s policy paper, scan the responses of major international players, and suggest recommendations for safeguarding Pakistan’s core interests.