Pakistan joins the international community today in celebrating the 76th Anniversary of the founding of the United Nations (UN). As the most representative inter-governmental organisation, the UN is best placed to address the common issues faced by humanity including the contemporary triple challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic, the accompanying economic crisis, and the threats posed by climate change.
Inspired and guided by the vision of our founding father, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Pakistan has always upheld the principles of the UN Charter. We have maintained a firm and abiding commitment to multilateralism, with the UN playing a central role for the promotion of international peace and security, sustainable development and human rights for all.
From being a top troop-contributing country to UN peace operations since 1960, to hosting one of the oldest peacekeeping Missions, UNMOGIP; from hosting millions of refugees for decades, to extending its support for just causes all over the world, Pakistan has been an ardent advocate of international cooperation, dialogue and peaceful settlement of disputes.
During the last two months, Pakistan played a key role in facilitating the evacuation and relocation of diplomatic missions, international organisations including UN agencies and entities, and others from Afghanistan. Pakistan continues to support the UN in the delivery and transit of humanitarian supplies to the Afghan people.
The UN Charter embodies our collective determination to uphold international law and peaceful co-existence. It also provides for the development of friendly relations among nations, based on respect for the principles of equal rights and self-determination of peoples, and to take other appropriate measures to strengthen universal peace.
It is deplorable that these universal ideals still continue to be defied with impunity across many parts of the world – nowhere more egregiously than in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). The just struggle of the people of IIOJK to realize their inalienable right of self-determination, guaranteed under several resolutions of the UN Security Council, is being suppressed with brutal force by an occupying power.
As we celebrate the UN Day, I reiterate the call on the international community to work towards the implementation of relevant UN Security Council resolutions on the Jammu and Kashmir dispute.
Pakistan stands ready to work hand in hand with fellow UN member states to continue pursuing the noble ideals of the UN Charter for attaining peace, progress and prosperity worldwide.
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