UNITED NATIONS: Pakistan stands for boosting cooperation between the United Nations and regional and sub-regional organisations in maintaining world peace and security, a top Pakistani diplomat has said, while also stressing that no state should be allowed to dominate regional organisations.

“We must strive for a collective vision that benefits all,” Ambassador Munir Akram told the UN Security Council which held a debate on Friday under the chairmanship of Russia, the 15-nation body’s president for July. In this regard, the Pakistani envoy underscored that the particular national interests of member states do not hinder regional integration.

“The quest for regional hegemony by one large state has undermined the potential of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc),” the Pakistani envoy said in an obvious reference to India.

In his remarks, Ambassador Akram said: “Regional integration represents the next phase of institutional development in international relations particularly in the realms of trade and industry”.

He therefore recognised the crucial role of three bodies — the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO), the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) — in fostering economic growth and cooperation across borders, as well as in combating terrorism and drug-trafficking.

Highlighting SCO’s “immense promise and potential”, the Pakistani envoy said that with some of the world’s largest emerging economies as its members, this organisation is poised to advance integrated regional cooperation, especially by enhancing trade and investment opportunities.

“This was evident at the recent SCO plus Summit meeting in Astana, in which Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif participated actively,” Ambassador Akram said.

In addition, he said that CSTO can enhance connectivity between the East and West, fostering a more secure region. Ambassador Akram said the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is a flagship project, noting that Pakistan will expand this effort including to Afghanistan, to realise its full potential for investment.

Pakistan, he said, believes that other regional organisations such as the African Union (AU), the Economic Cooperation Organisation (ECO), and Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), along with cross-regional groups, like the Arab League and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), should also work towards expanding global integration through appropriate association agreements, and welcomed the establishment of the AU-AL-OIC Trilateral Commission.

“Such regional and inter-regional initiatives in association within the UN are crucial for fostering greater cooperation and understanding among diverse regions, and contributing to global harmony and collective progress,” Ambassador Akram said.

“Now, more than ever, a more effective UN relies on stronger and deepened cooperation with regional and subregional organisations,” said Elizabeth Spehar, Assistant Secretary General for Peacebuilding Support in the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs.

Detailing rising tensions and emerging threats in the Eurasian region that require joint action, she said that such organisations offer much-needed avenues for bridge-building and urged strengthened regional frameworks for dialogue and cooperation in regions where long-standing security architecture and mechanisms are collapsing or mired in stalemate.

Published in Dawn, July 21st, 2024