UNITED NATIONS: While acknowledging a link between development and security, Pakistan has cautioned against allowing UN Security Council to encroach on issues that fell within the functions of other UN bodies in order to avoid duplication of efforts.
Speaking in a Security Council debate on Security, development and the root causes of conflicts,’ Nabeel Munir, acting permanent representative of Pakistan to the United Nations, said, “By pronouncing on development and human rights at the national level, the Security Council will be going beyond its mandate of maintaining international peace and security.”
The debate was organized by the United Kingdom, which holds the 15-member Council’s presidency for the month of November.
Pointing to international institutions, especially within the United Nations, that oversaw issues pertaining to development and human rights, the Pakistani delegate said if the Council started taking up those responsibilities, the bodies mandated to deal with them would lose their relevance.
“Security Council’s responsibility is in the arena of international peace and security,” Munir stressed.
“Ensuring national peace, security and stability is the responsibility of each sovereign state. Accordingly, primary responsibility in cases where lack of development or absence of ideal human rights conditions exist also lie with the Member States.”
“We believe the Council’s ingress on these issues should be avoided,” the Pakistani delegate said.
Furthermore, Munir said the Council did not need to be burdened with work that would, at best, be a duplication of efforts.
It was also important to consider if the Council’s structure and working methods were conducive to such a role, he said, noting that with only ten elected members, the Council’s openness, transparency and accountability had been questioned by the wider membership. By contrast, the Human Rights Council comprised of 47 elected Member States.
“Pakistan believes UN bodies should fulfill their responsibilities within their prescribed mandates,” he added.
Source: APP
