‘Kashmir, Palestine UN’s unfinished agenda’

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Monday called for respecting the right to self-determination promised to Kashmiris and Palestinians by the United Nations, as they were still awaiting fulfillment of the commitments made to them by the United Nations.

“The ‘euphoria’ to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the United Nations should not ‘un-sight’ the international community from expectations from the organization, in particular, to resolve longstanding disputes,” Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said while addressing a high-level virtual meeting of the General Assembly, held at the UN Headquarters in New York.

In his video statement, Qureshi commended the United Nations for its numerous accomplishments over the years to advance the principles and purposes of the Charter. He acknowledged, in particular, the important role played by the organization in facilitating decolonization, addressing the threats of climate change and helping to promote a vision of inclusive and sustainable development through the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals.

“The ‘euphoria’ of the occasion should not ‘un-sight’ the international community from the expectations from the organization, in particular, to resolve longstanding disputes”, he said, according to a statement from the Foreign Office.

He reminded the world that the people of Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IOJ&K) were still awaiting fulfillment of the commitments made to them by the United Nations. Earlier, the foreign minister tweeted that the people of occupied Kashmir and Palestine "still await fulfillment of right to self-determination".

"We the peoples of the UN must rise up to meet the global challenges faced, both historic and current," he said. "While we have seen enormous international cooperation to combat Covid-19, it has failed to unify humanity as it could have."

The foreign minister also warned that "the very forces that led to the Second World War, racism and fascism were taking the shape of rising xenophobia and Islamophobia". "We must come together to prevent forebodings from turning into self-fulfilling prophecies. In this noble endeavour, the United Nations will always find Pakistan by its side," he added.

In his address, he cautioned against the growing inability of the international community to join ranks in collectively addressing common challenges including the COVID-19 pandemic, that has not only strengthened forces of unilateralism, fascism, xenophobia and Islamophobia, but has also given rise to fears that the multilateral order itself is under threat.

“Pakistan urges the international community to defend the immutable principles of the Charter against those who undermine the UN principles or claim privileged status on the basis of ‘size’, ‘strength’ or a ‘misplaced sense of entitlement’”, he said.

The foreign minister recalled that Pakistan had been on the UN Security Council 7 times, headed ECOSOC 5 times, and led the UN General Assembly and the G-77. “We are active participants in reform processes, including the reform of the Security Council,” he added.

Highlighting Pakistan’s important role in maintaining international peace and security, Qureshi said Pakistan had contributed over 200,000 troops to 47 Missions in 26 countries, losing 157 of its bravest soldiers in the process. He recalled that Pakistan also hosted the largest protracted refugee population.

Reaffirming Pakistan’s abiding commitment to multilateralism, he said Pakistan would continue to play a leading role in advancing the mutually reinforcing goals of peace and security, development and human rights.

He reiterated Pakistan’s firm conviction that there was no alternative to “the UN, its values and its architecture.” The high-level meeting adopted a Political Declaration to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the United Nations.