Chairman Senate Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani, addressing the 1st International Peace Summit 2026 of the International Human Rights Commission (IHRC) as Chief Guest on the International Day of Peace, called for greater global investment in diplomacy, dialogue, justice, education, development and human dignity. Referring to this year’s theme, “Invest in Peace — For Everyone, Everywhere, Every Day,” he stressed diplomacy before confrontation, dialogue before escalation, education before extremism and development before despair.
Addressing an international gathering of leaders, parliamentarians, diplomats and peace advocates, he said peace was not merely the absence of war, but the presence of security, justice, dignity, opportunity and hope. Expressing concern over conflicts in Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, Haiti and other regions, he said geopolitical considerations must not overshadow human suffering. “Behind every statistic is a human life; behind every displaced family is a home, and behind every destroyed school is a child’s interrupted future,” he said.
Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani emphasized that peace, security and development were inseparable, calling for a broader concept of security that protects human dignity, education, economic opportunity and social inclusion. Highlighting parliamentary diplomacy, he said dialogue was an instrument of responsible statecraft and parliaments could provide platforms for resolving differences through debate rather than violence. Referring to the Inter-Parliamentary Speakers’ Conference, he said parliamentary diplomacy could strengthen cooperation, conflict resolution and trust among nations.
The Chairman Senate reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to peaceful dispute resolution, respect for sovereignty and international law, multilateral cooperation and UN peacekeeping efforts. He urged the international community to choose dialogue over confrontation, education over extremism, development over despair and humanity over hatred, emphasizing that peace must be built “every day, everywhere, for everyone.”
