Antonio Guterres sidesteps Kashmir question, flags UN Security Council’s ‘crisis of legitimacy’

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday avoided directly responding to a Pakistani journalist’s question on UN Security Council resolutions on Jammu and Kashmir, instead highlighting what he described as a crisis of legitimacy and effectiveness within the council.Guterres was speaking at a joint press conference in Pakistan with deputy prime minister and foreign minister Ishaq Dar during his three-day official visit to the country.When asked about the Security Council’s resolutions on Jammu and Kashmir, Guterres said, “I have the opinion that all problems can be solved by peace and dialogue, and my good offices are always available for all situations.”He then turned to the need for reform of the UN Security Council.Guterres calls for Security Council reform“The question of the Security Council is simple, Security Council does not represent the world of today. Just to give an example, we have three European members in the Security Council and no African member in the Security Council, I mean permanent members, which means that the Security Council has a problem of legitimacy and has a problem of effectiveness,” he said.Guterres also criticised the role of powerful countries in conflicts and called for stronger multilateral action to uphold international law.“We are witnessing today a situation in which superpowers, permanent members of the Security Council, are the first to start conflicts, and sometimes violating international law, creates a situation in which many countries believe they can do whatever they want because nothing will happen to them, and we see that around the world,” he said.He added, “And this is something that can only be solved with a reform of the Security Council that makes it more legitimate, but also with the capacity of the countries that have more responsibilities in the world to understand that when the principles of law are at stake, they must unite to make sure that they are fully implemented.”India hits back at Pakistan’s Kashmir referencesThe remarks came as India separately responded to Pakistan’s references to Jammu and Kashmir at the 153rd assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union in Arusha, Tanzania.Rajya Sabha deputy chairman Harivansh exercised India’s right of reply and criticised Pakistan for raising the Kashmir issue at the international parliamentary forum.“Honourable Chairperson, we deplore the attempts by a delegation to politicise the forum and to bring in unwarranted references to issues which do not fall within the purview of this forum or meeting,” Harivansh said.He added, “Quite habitually, this delegation attempts to indulge in propaganda and makes baseless allegations against India. The Union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh have been, are, and shall always remain integral and inalienable parts of India.”India's response came against the backdrop of its stated position on terrorism and tensions with Pakistan following the April 22, 2025, Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 people were killed. India subsequently launched Operation Sindoor against terror infrastructure and training facilities in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir.The two countries later engaged in military hostilities before a ceasefire was reached. India has also said that the three terrorists involved in the Pahalgam attack were subsequently killed during Operation Mahadev.You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.