The Secretary-General has reported that the voluntary resources into the United Nations funds and programmes have declined over the last year. In order to build the foundations of peace, we should not undermine the crucial aspect of development. Within the framework of the deliberations for an Agenda for Development, we must intensify our efforts to strengthen international cooperation, and enhance the role and capacity of the United Nations to meet this challenge. We endorse the Secretary General's view that the best course of action for preventing and resolving conflicts is through preventive diplomacy and preventive deployment in order to avoid costly politico-military operations. Preventive diplomacy can take many forms including quiet diplomacy, early warning and the activation of the existing United Nations mechanisms of mediation and arbitration.
Preventive diplomacy has to be translated into preventive action.
It should be a pro-active policy, and not a passive or belated response to the conflicts after they have erupted. The United Nations should play its primary role of facilitating peaceful settlement of disputes between the parties. No party should be given a veto in imposing its will or in offering arbitrary justifications for its illegal actions. Pakistan believes that UN peace keeping exemplifies the sustained political commitment of member states to the concept of collective security and the maintenance of international peace and security. Within the framework of the U.N. Charter, peace keeping is a crucial element in addressing the root causes of conflicts and in promoting reconciliation between the parties.