ISLAMABAD: United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday described Pakistan’s mediation between the United States and Iran as a “remarkable initiative”, saying Islamabad had earned the trust of two countries that had been at odds for decades.

Speaking at a joint press conference with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar in Islamabad, Guterres said he hoped to see peace and prosperity in the region anchored in dialogue and cooperation.

“What Pakistan has done in relation to the conflict in the Gulf, namely between the United States and Iran, is a remarkable initiative,” Guterres said.

He said it was important for the international community to have countries that could be trusted by parties that were at odds with each other.

“The trust that Pakistan deserved was essential to allow for peace negotiations to take place,” he added.

Guterres said Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts should continue and expressed hope that they would ultimately contribute to peace in the Middle East.

The UN chief also praised Pakistan’s contribution to multilateral diplomacy, saying its role as an elected member of the UN Security Council over the past two years had demonstrated the importance of multilateralism, dialogue, mediation and diplomacy at a time of growing division and mistrust.

“Those same values are vital within societies as well,” he said, stressing the importance of inclusive institutions, respect for human rights and civic space in strengthening social cohesion and building trust.

Guterres said Pakistan was among the world’s largest and longest-serving contributors to UN peacekeeping, praising Pakistani personnel for serving with “courage and distinction” in some of the most difficult and dangerous environments.

He paid tribute to Pakistani peacekeepers who had lost their lives in the service of peace.

The UN chief also praised Pakistan’s leadership, alongside Denmark, in securing UN Security Council Resolution 2823, which strengthens accountability for crimes against UN peacekeepers.

He said 156 countries had co-sponsored the resolution, making it the largest number of co-sponsors for a Security Council resolution in UN history.

Guterres said he would later visit the headquarters of the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) in Islamabad to pay tribute to the mission and peacekeepers around the world.

On terrorism, Guterres said Pakistan had endured years of suffering, with thousands of people killed and families and communities continuing to bear the scars.

“We stand with Pakistan in confronting the threat of terrorism,” he said, adding that addressing terrorism and legitimate security concerns was “necessary and indispensable”.

He stressed, however, that the strongest and most effective security measures were those grounded in international law, human rights and the rule of law.

Turning to climate change, Guterres recalled his visit to Pakistan during the devastating floods of 2022, saying he had witnessed both the destruction caused by the disaster and the resilience and solidarity of the Pakistani people.

“Pakistan is on the front lines of climate chaos, despite contributing only a tiny fraction of global emissions,” he said.

He praised Pakistan’s leadership on climate issues, including its role in establishing a loss and damage fund and its transition towards cleaner energy.

However, Guterres said vulnerable developing countries could not substitute for the responsibilities of developed nations.

He called for drastic reductions in global emissions and urged developed countries to honour their climate-financing and technology commitments to help developing nations build resilience and accelerate a just transition.

“The United Nations stands with the people of Pakistan,” Guterres said, thanking Pakistanis for their contribution to the wider world.

Responding to a question about Pakistan’s role as a UN Security Council member, Dar said Islamabad had demonstrated its commitment to multilateralism, dialogue and diplomacy through its role in US-Iran mediation and efforts to promote peace and security in the Gulf.

He said Pakistan’s approach was based on principles including sovereign equality, territorial integrity, non-interference, the prohibition of the use of force and the right of self-determination.

Dar also called for reforms to the international financial system, echoing Guterres’ criticism of institutions created after World War II that no longer reflected the realities of the modern world.

Guterres said the international financial architecture needed reform to give developing countries greater access to debt relief, concessional financing and other instruments required for development.

He cited Pakistan’s experience with the 2022 floods as an example of the vulnerabilities faced by middle-income countries.

On Gaza, Guterres said the scale of destruction caused by Israeli military operations had been unprecedented during his tenure as secretary-general.

He called for an end to the suffering of Palestinians and said a peace plan must be fully implemented.

The UN chief also called for the restoration of navigational rights and freedoms in accordance with international law and reiterated support for the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination.

Guterres expressed concern over the situation in the West Bank, saying violence and settlement activity could undermine the two-state solution.

He reiterated that Palestinians must be guaranteed the right to self-determination so that Palestinians and Israelis could eventually live in peace and mutual respect.

Asked about the long-running Jammu and Kashmir dispute and the implementation of UN Security Council resolutions, Guterres said he believed all problems could be resolved through peace and dialogue and that his “good offices” remained available.

He also said the UN Security Council faced problems of legitimacy and effectiveness, arguing that resolutions could only be implemented when council members, particularly the five permanent members, were united.

Guterres pointed to the absence of an African permanent member despite three European permanent members as an example of the council’s lack of representativeness.

He said the fact that permanent members were themselves involved in conflicts and, at times, violated international law further complicated the council’s ability to act effectively.

Dar described the current international situation as “very complex”, with conflicts and tensions in several regions, and stressed the need for greater efforts by the UN and countries committed to dialogue and diplomacy.

He cited the Gaza conflict and the February escalation involving Iran as examples of the need for diplomacy, saying Pakistan had consistently advocated restraint and dialogue.

Dar said Pakistan had demonstrated this approach through its diplomatic contacts following the attack on Iran, including calls for restraint and an end to further escalation.

He also backed reforms to the UN and international financial institutions, saying global institutions needed to reflect present-day realities and uphold the principles of sovereign equality and territorial integrity.

Guterres, whose second term as UN secretary-general ends in December, also ruled out returning to political office in Portugal.

Asked whether he planned to seek another term as prime minister after leaving the UN, Guterres said he did not intend to return to politics.

“I will not go back to the political life in Portugal,” he said, adding that he would instead continue to advocate for the UN Charter, multilateralism, international law, reform of the global financial architecture, climate justice and responsible development of artificial intelligence.

Guterres said developing countries should also benefit from advances in artificial intelligence and called for international cooperation to ensure the technology served humanity rather than becoming a source of new risks.