The consensus-backed statement calls for sustained diplomatic engagement during active hostilities, including mediation and communication channels, to help secure ceasefires and lasting political settlements.

By The South Asia Times

ISLAMABAD - The United Nations Security Council has unanimously adopted a Pakistan-initiated presidential statement calling for continued diplomatic engagement even after armed conflicts have begun, highlighting the importance of dialogue, mediation and communication channels in preventing further escalation.

The statement, titled “The Role of Diplomacy during Active Hostilities,” was adopted by consensus on Thursday, November 5, according to Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The initiative highlights the need to maintain diplomatic efforts at every stage of a conflict, including during active fighting, to facilitate ceasefires and create conditions for lasting political settlements.

Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said the statement builds on UN Security Council Resolution 2788 (2025), which was unanimously adopted during Pakistan’s presidency of the Council in July 2025.

While the earlier resolution addressed the broader importance of diplomacy in international peace and security, the new presidential statement focuses specifically on the role of diplomatic engagement once hostilities have commenced.

It emphasizes mechanisms such as mediation, good offices and maintaining channels of communication between parties to a conflict.

The statement also brings together established principles and lessons from different conflict situations within a common framework, providing a political reference point for the Security Council's efforts to promote de-escalation, dialogue and peaceful solutions.

Pakistan said the adoption represents a contribution to the Council's thematic work on international peace and security and reflects Islamabad's commitment to multilateralism and diplomacy.

Presidential statements are formal expressions of the Security Council's collective political position. Unlike binding resolutions adopted under the UN Charter, they do not create legally binding obligations.

The adoption comes as armed conflicts and geopolitical tensions continue to challenge international efforts to maintain peace and security, underscoring the importance of diplomatic channels even when fighting is underway.

Pakistan's Foreign Ministry described the consensus adoption as a reflection of the country's constructive role in advancing dialogue and diplomatic solutions through the United Nations.