22.07.2025 Statement by Denmark at the UNSC Open Debate on Peaceful Settlement of Disputes
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Thank you, Mr. President.
And let me also thank the Secretary-General for his valuable briefing, and for his clarion call to action.
Deputy Prime Minister Dar, thank you for your presence today. The peaceful settlement of disputes strikes to the very core of our work at the Security Council. Denmark commends Pakistan for bringing it to the forefront today. We also congratulate Pakistan for the important resolution we have adopted this morning.
Mr. President,
In joining the United Nations, every Member State undertakes a solemn commitment to uphold the UN Charter. To promote and defend its principles, its purposes and its values. Today, that commitment is threatened like never before. We believe it is high time not only to recommit to these principles and values, but to take concrete steps to implement them.
The peaceful settlement of disputes encompasses a broad range of actions. From the use of diplomacy, dialogue and mediation, to taking confidence-building measures. From early warning mechanisms to crisis management measures. We have these tools at our disposal. We have recommitted to them in the Pact for the Future. What is needed, as ever, is the political will and the courage to use them.
Denmark believes that these tools are underutilised and undervalued.
Allow me to highlight several recommendations to this end.
First,
The good offices of the Secretary-General and his envoys is a vital role and an important tool to promote the peaceful resolution of disputes. This instrument requires adequate resources to lead and support mediation and preventive diplomacy. It should be actively used in a bold and forward leaning way, even when the risks of failing are high. We also underscore the ability of the Secretary-General to bring matters to the attention of the Council in Article 99 of the Charter as an important tool in prevention.
Second,
We, the Member States, must fulfil our obligation under Article 33 and seek solutions to any dispute by peaceful means. Dialogue, preventive diplomacy and mediation must become our first ports of call.
Failing this, there are still other avenues. Legal disputes should as a general rule be referred to the International Court of Justice and we encourage all Member States to accept the compulsory jurisdiction of the Court. As the principal judicial organ of the United Nations, the ICJ has an increasingly important role in upholding international law and the peaceful settlement of disputes.
Third,
We, the Security Council, need to utilise all means and measures at our disposal to deliver on our mandate. Chapter VI of the Charter provides a range of tools to this end. As an example, the Council may establish investigations into disputes or situations that might lead to conflict. Such investigations should be initiated early to avoid and prevent escalation.
The Council should also make more use of its authority to call on parties to settle their disputes by peaceful means and to make recommendations on procedures that could be taken. In this regard, we underscore the obligations in Article 27(3) stating that in decisions under Chapter VI a party to a dispute shall abstain from voting.
Our credibility depends not only on our ability to resolve and settle disputes, but in our ability to foresee, and critically, to forestall them. That means investing more in prevention and peacebuilding, including confidence-building measures. It also means supporting civil society, grassroots organizations and youth initiatives and ensuring women’s full, equal, meaningful, and safe participation in peace and security efforts. Concretely, the Council should consider organising horizon-scanning and situational awareness briefings and considering early responses. When the warning signs are clear, our resolve must be firm. Such an approach could save lives, resources and decades of development gains.
In closing, Mr. President,
In this Organisation, we have all committed to saving succeeding generations from the scourge of war. But commitments on paper will save no one. Now is the time to maximise our use of the tools provided under the Charter. Let us harness their full potential and uphold our responsibility to maintain international peace and security.
I Thank you.