As tensions flared between India and Pakistan over the past fortnight, the United Nations Security Council held a behind-closed-doors session on May 5, 2025, to address what diplomats have described as one of the most dangerous flare-ups in South Asia in recent years. Prompted by the deadly terrorist attack in Kashmir’s Pahalgam district, the meeting highlighted the Council’s increasing concern over the potential for open conflict between the neighboring nuclear states.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The Council heard briefings from the UN Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and the Department of Peace Operations. Sources indicate that the session focused on the risks posed by the breakdown of diplomatic ties and growing militarization along the LoC. The debate also centered on the future of the Kashmir dispute and the broader security architecture in South Asia.
India has called for greater international cooperation in targeting terrorist networks allegedly operating with impunity in Pakistan. New Delhi’s representatives argued that global inaction has emboldened non-state actors and accused Islamabad of violating past peace commitments. Pakistan countered by highlighting recent Indian military actions and accusing New Delhi of human rights abuses in Kashmir.
Multiple UNSC members, including Norway, Ghana, and the UAE, emphasized the importance of track-II diplomacy and confidence-building measures. Meanwhile, UN peacekeeping advisors ruled out the deployment of a peace monitoring force due to the region’s high-security sensitivities and the unwillingness of both countries to permit such intervention.
As a result of the session, several proposals are now on the table, including appointing a special envoy to South Asia and convening an international Kashmir conference. However, there remains skepticism about Pakistan’s willingness to engage under perceived international pressure, and India’s firm stance on internal sovereignty complicates the diplomacy.
The Security Council refrained from issuing a press statement following the session, reflecting divisions among key members. However, back-channel discussions are ongoing, with Switzerland reportedly offering to host preliminary bilateral meetings in Geneva in the coming weeks.
