NEW YORK: The Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the United Nations Ambassador Munir Akram has said that “It should be a high priority for the Security Council to prevent such a conflict by promoting a just and peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with its own resolutions.
“It should be a high priority for the Secretary-General to fully utilize his broad authority under the Charter to promote such a fair and peaceful resolution of the dispute and end the massive human rights violations taking place in Indian-occupied Kashmir,” Ambassador Munir Akram said at the Security Council open debate on “Peace and Security through preventive diplomacy: a common objective to all the principal organs of the United Nations organized by Mexico.
“That, surely, is the essence of preventive diplomacy, envisaged in the UN Charter,” he added.
While expressing his concern on rising global tensions, he said that “We are living in dangerous times marked by the unilateral use or threat of force, foreign interventions, foreign occupation, the suppression of legitimate freedom struggles, as in Jammu and Kashmir; the resurgence of the ideologies of hate – fascism, racism, anti-Semitism and Islamophobia; growing poverty, inequality, and environmental degradation; rising global tensions, proliferating military alliances and a destabilizing and dangerous nuclear and conventional arms race.
The ambassador insisted that “addressing the root causes of conflicts and disputes must be the principal modality for preventive diplomacy”.
Expounding the significance of key organs of the United Nations, he said that “the General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council, the ICJ and the Peace-building Commission – all have important roles in addressing the root causes of conflict, especially a conflict between nuclear-armed States”.
“In the final analysis, however, it is the Security Council which must utilize its primary authority under the Charter to secure the just and peaceful settlement of conflicts and disputes in accordance with its own resolutions and decisions” he added.
Ambassador Munir Akram reminded the august council that “for the past two years, Pakistan has repeatedly drawn the attention of the Security Council and the Secretary-General to the grave and ever-present threat to international peace and security posed by the conflict over Jammu and Kashmir”.
“There is considerable and credible evidence that human rights are being massively violated in the Indian-occupied parts of Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
The ambassador expressed his concern over the increased violations that “have escalated sharply after the unilateral measures taken by India on and after 5 August 2019 to forcibly annex occupied Jammu and Kashmir and change its demography in violation of the UN Security Council resolutions which prescribe an UN-supervised plebiscite by the people of Jammu and Kashmir to determine the State’s final disposition.
“These actions constitute grave violations of international law, including the Geneva Conventions and could amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity,” he said.
While expressing the gravity of the Jammu and Kashmir conflict, he further said that “three wars have been fought over Jammu and Kashmir. Another war was narrowly averted in February 2019 due to Pakistan’s exercise of self-restraint. Despite the revival of the 2003 ceasefire, threats against Pakistan and the repression in Kashmir have not abated. A conflict could have catastrophic consequences for South Asia and the world”.
“No party should have the ability to veto the exercise of the endeavors of the Security Council or the Secretary-General for conflict resolution” he concluded.
The ambassador congratulated the Mexican Presidency for skillfully guiding the Council and for convening this debate on preventive diplomacy.
In addition, he also thanked the Secretary-General and the Presidents of the Assembly, ECOSOC, and ICJ for their informative briefings.
