Islamabad, Nov 19: The UN Unanimously Adopted Pakistan’s Resolution on the Right to Self-Determination. Pakistan stated that its goal was to create a world where everyone could live in “dignity, free from oppression” when a major UN panel unanimously approved a resolution on Monday reaffirming the international commitment to the principle of self-determination for peoples still under colonial, foreign, and alien occupation.
The resolution, which was presented by Pakistan’s UN Ambassador Munir Akram and co-sponsored by 65 nations, was approved without a vote in the Third Committee of the General Assembly, which handles social, humanitarian, and cultural matters.
Pakistan has been supporting the resolution since 1981 to draw attention to the peoples of Palestine and Kashmir, among others, who continue to fight for their unalienable right to self-determination. The next step is for the General Assembly to approve the text.
Under its provisions, the 193-member Assembly would call on the responsible States to put an end to acts of foreign military intervention and occupation that stifle peoples’ and nations’ right to self-determination. “Building a world where every nation, every community, and every individual can live in dignity, free from oppression, and with the ability to shape their destiny” is the goal of the resolution, according to Ambassador Akram, Pakistan’s permanent representative to the UN.
The Pakistani envoy stated that the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Covenant on Social and Cultural Rights are two international instruments that have formalized the right to self-determination, which is a basic concept inscribed in the UN Charter.
According to him, millions of people have used this power throughout the years, freeing themselves from foreign oppression and colonial dominance and establishing a number of independent states that are now equal members of this Assembly.
The plight of those whose right to self-determination and freedom has been brutally denied cannot be ignored by those of us who have been freed through the exercise of our right to self-determination, Ambassador Akram continued. “In certain situations of foreign occupation, we witness a systematic denial of self-determination through military oppression, demographic manipulation, and the suppression of basic freedoms,” he said, noting that such actions violate international law and pose a threat to international peace and security.
The resolution in front of us restates the right to self-determination’s universality and indivisibility. He made this statement while praising the tenacity of peoples fighting injustice and expressing his strong sympathy and solidarity with those who are still subjected to occupation and persecution.
The General Assembly would reaffirm the universal realization of all peoples’ rights to self-determination, including those subject to colonial, foreign, and alien domination, as a necessary condition for the effective guarantee and observance of human rights, according to the draft resolution.
Since foreign military intervention, aggression, and occupation have led to the repression of peoples’ rights to self-determination and other human rights in several regions of the world, the resolution further stated the General Assembly’s strong opposition to these actions.
It urged the responsible states to immediately stop all forms of exploitation, discrimination, repression, and abuse, as well as military interference and occupation of other nations and territory. The Assembly also confirms the right of millions of refugees and displaced people to return to their homes willingly, in safety, and with dignity, and laments their predicament as a result of these crimes.
The resolution calls on the Human Rights Council to pay particular attention to human rights violations brought on by foreign armed occupation, aggression, or interference, particularly those involving the right to self-determination. Additionally, it asks the Secretary-General to report on this issue to the General Assembly’s next session.
