Draft Statement comprehensive version for Joint General Debate at the

Fourth Committee

To be submitted online

Mr. Chairman,

Let me congratulate you and other members of the Bureau on your election and assure you ofmy delegation's full support.

In this intervention my delegation will focus on agenda items 52,53,54, and 61

I align my statement with the statement of NAM delivered by the distinguished representative ofAzerbaijan.

Mr. Chairman,

Over the decades, has become a flagship enterprise of the United

Nations. Peacekeeping Missions contribute directly in managing some ofthe most

complex conflict situations and threats to international peace and security. They

reflect the collective commitment and endeavor of member states to promote

international peace and stability.

^52: UN relief and works agency for Palestine Refugees, 53: Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and other Arabs of the occupied territories; 54: Comprehensive Review of Peacekeeping Operations; 61: Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting ofIndependence to Colonial Countries and Peoples Conflicts are becoming more complex, prolonged and lethal, posing new

challenges for Peacekeepers. Peacekeeping has evolved from single-dimensional

monitoring to multi-dimensional mandates, as recognized by Resolution 2086,

adopted underPakistan's Presidency of the Council. It is against this backdrop that the ongoing discussions on reform ofPeacekeeping must be situated.

Peacekeeping has been the UN's most successful enterprise. The recent conclusion

of the Missions in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Cote d'lvoire is evidence of such

success. It is a matter of great pride for us that in all three of these missions,

Pakistani peacekeepers played a critical role. They accomplished their tasks,

fulfilled their mandates and above all, won hearts and minds of the local

population by helping them bring back stability in their lives, communities, and

countries.

In their briefings earlier this week, the USGs elaborated the evolving nature of the

challenges faced by peacekeeping which have been further intensified by the

COVID-19 pandemic. The situation demands a renewed collective commitment by

Member States to fully support U.N. peacekeeping. The pandemic has the potential

to negatively impact mandate implementation in some of the most difficult

situations where health and safety infrastructure is already fragile. Helping prevent

and contain the spread ofthe virus where peacekeeping operations are deployed is. therefore, not only a moral imperative, but also a political priority as well as an operational requirement.

Mr. Chairman,

The Secretary General's call for a , in the response to the COVID-

19 outbreak, was unanimously endorsed by the Security Council in its Resolution 2532 (2020). Instead of complying with call by the Secretary

General and the Security Council, our neighbor, , intensified its violations of the ceasefire along the Line of Control in the disputed territory of Jammu and

Kashmir. Due to the intensified Indian ceasefire violations, and threats of aggression against , the role and importance of UNMOGIP, one of the oldest peacekeeping missions, have become increasingly important. It is imperative that the continues to consider ways and means to strengthen

UNMOGIP and enable it to effectively perform its mandate role for monitoring and reporting ceasefire violations.

Mr. Chairman,

Pakistan has been a consistent and reliable Troop contributing country. It has contributed over 200,000 troops to 46 missions so far since 1960. We continue to be in the field as one ofthe largest troop contributors. Our contribution to the cause of global peace has not been without cost; 157 ofour

best and bravest, including 24 officers and a female peacekeeper have made the ultimate sacrifice during these missions.

Mr. Chairman,

As a major TCC, with a proud history ofprofessionalism, competence and honour, we welcome discussions for improving performance and outcomes of

peacekeeping. As the first member state to endorse the A4P declaration of shared

commitments, we firmly believe that we are all stakeholders in this endeavour and thus have a shared responsibility to ensure its success.

In recent years, we have witnessed various reform initiatives including through a

normative framework and application of tactical concepts such as agility and

protection through projection. However, these concepts have generated additional

expectations from troop-contributing countries (TCCs). It is the TCCs which are

expected to provide equipment, impart adequate training, and prepare troops with the appropriate 'mindsets'.

We fully understand the rationale behind generating critical capabilities, increasing

female participation and, of course, improve training. We have also met United

Nations targets on the participation of women in peacekeeping. Our female

engagement teams are deployed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is a matter of pride for us that their performance, like that of their male counterparts, has been recognized by the United Nations. In this regard, we welcome the recent

UNSCR 2538 on 'Women in Peacekeeping Operations' and look forward to its

implementation.

We are one of the leading contributors of critical enablers, including air assets, to

several peacekeeping missions, and participating in train-the-trainer programmes.

We are also offering training courses at the Centre for Peace and Stability in

Islamabad (CIPS) for foreign nationals and our own peacekeepers.

Mr. Chairman,

Allow me to make six key points here.

First, even the best trained troops cannot be expected to deliver in the face of

unrealistic expectations. Performance assessments should evaluate the performance

of all actors in the peacekeeping system, and start with scrutinizing mandates and the availably ofadequate resources to the missions. The Secretariat obviously

bears the responsibility of providing a pragmatic and realistic analysis of the

situation, in terms of political environment and resource gaps. That information then needs to be reflected by the Council in its mandates.

In this regard, we welcome the development of the Integrated Peacekeeping

Performance and Accountability Framework Policy Framework (IPPAF) by the Secretariat recently^ which takes a whole of mission approach. We all also appreciate the inclusive approach taken in developing the framework. We will continue to engage with the Secretariat for its further development.

Second, the onset of COVID-19 imposes a unique set of challenges on missions and peacekeepers. It has added a new burden for peacekeepers, increasing their role in supporting local efforts to fight the pandemic and ensure continuity of mandate implementation. The pandemic also poses a threat to their safety and security. In this regard, while our peacekeepers continue to implement the mandates in the missions, we must ensure that adequate medical facilities with efficient medical/casualty evacuation services continue to be available in all missions. This would also be in line with the 2020 C-34 report and the recently adopted UNSCR 2518 on the 'Safety and Security ofPeacekeepers'.

Third, there is considerable discussion about TCCs pledging resources to the UN through the Peacekeeping Capability Readiness system (PCRS). However, upon closer examination, it is evident that the system needs to be reformed. TCCs continue to pledge and keep in readiness precious human resources and expensive

^ Was requested by the 2018 C-34 report and supported by Security Council Presidential Statement 2018/4 and UNSCR 2436. TCCs are generally satisfied with the document as it takes a whole of mission approach and does not put the onus of outcomes solely on TCCs. It is a living document and we are satisfied with the manner in which the Secretariat has reached out to the TCCs and has taken their concerns onboard. equipmentwithout any sign that their deployment is in sight. This imposes costs on

TCCs which are currently uncompensated.

Fourth, rather than focus on cutting costs and troop numbers, we must be guided

by the specific needs posed by the peacekeeping operation based one an objective

assessment of the situation on ground. Cost considerations should not dictate

operations; it should be other way around.

Fifth, as we are all committed to the Action for Peacekeeping Declaration of

shared commitments, we must continue to fulfil our respective obligations and

roles.

Sixth, peacekeeping missions, especially those with multidimensional mandates,

are deployed to facilitate peacebuilding at all stages of conflict and assist in

achieving sustainable peace. Peacekeepers are not deployed to negotiate political

solutions or enforce peace.

We look forward to working with all stakeholders for our common objective of

improving peacekeeping outcomes. The burden of responsibility should, however,

be shared equitably to achieve the results we all need and desire in accordance with the spirit ofthe A4P declaration ofshared commitments.

Mr. Chairman,

The UN Charter is not only an instrument ofsecurity against the horrors ofwar. It

is also a source of hope against the privations of injustice and oppression, an expression of hope to countless millions still struggling against the yolk of colonialism and foreign domination, across the world.

It was in this spirit that the General Assembly articulated the aspirations of the people in its historic 'Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial

Countries and Peoples' contained in Resolution 1514 of 1960.

Mr. Chairman,

We are approaching the conclusion of the 'Third International Decade for the

Eradication of Colonialism'. Yet, there are still territories under the yoke of colonialism and foreign occupation. The persistence of this reality is a travesty of the universal principle ofpolitical and economic freedom ofall peoples.

The General Assembly has also consistently reaffirmed that colonialism in any form or manifestation is incompatible with the UN Charter, Declaration on the

Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples and the Universal

Declaration ofHuman Rights.

Mr. Chairman,

The right to self-determination is the fundamental principle driving the struggle against colonial domination and foreign occupation. It is a fundamental human right, guaranteed by the Charter, and recognized under the relevant human rights conventions. Decolonization and the right to self-determination are objectives of such

importance, scope and global relevance, that they cannot be limited to the Non-

Self-Governing Territories on this Committee's list.

The right of peoples to self-determination, enshrined in Article 1 of the UN

Charter, and in Common Article-II of the two International Human Rights

Covenants, is the bedrock ofthe edifice ofinternational relations.

Negation of the right to self-determination, anywhere, generates anger and

discontent, ignites conflicts and threatens peace and security.

Furthermore, the OA Resolution 2649 (1970) declared that denial of the right of

self-determination of peoples under colonial occupation or alien domination is a

gross violation of the UN Charter and that such peoples have the right to struggle

for the realization oftheir right "by all available means".

Sadly, South Asia and the Middle East have witnessed and experienced this for

decades.

While the international community has continued to reaffirm the principle of self-

determination, the free exercise of this right has been denied, so far, in certain

cases, such as in Jammu and Kashmir and Palestine. Mr. Chairman,

Palestine remains a 'festering wound'. A just peacein Palestine is not only a matter of regional significance; it is the primary condition for global peace and security. A two-state 'solution' remains the only basis for a settlement, on the basis of the

Security Council Resolutions, including withdrawal from all occupied Palestinian and Arab temtories.

Illegal annexations of Palestinian territory, the building of illegal settlements and the imposition of inhuman living conditions on the Palestinian people especially in

Gaza cannot bring peace to a troubled region.

Pakistan continues to support a two-state solution - in line with UN General

Assembly and Security Council resolutions, within the internationally agreed parameters, and these are pre-1967 borders, and Al-Quds Al-Sharif as the Capital ofa united, contiguous and independent Palestinian state.

Mr. Chairman,

The integrity ofUNRWA activities including education, health and social services, can only be maintained through sufficient, predictable and sustainable financing.

The international community must step up funding of UNRWA to meet the financial challenges it faces.

10 Mr. Chairman,

The UN's decolonization agenda will remain incomplete without the just resolution ofthe Jammu and Kashmir dispute.

India has, by obfuscation and oppression, denied the right of self-determination to the people ofJammu and Kashmir for seven decades. On 05 August last year, India initiated its so-called "final solution" in occupied Jammu and Kashmir by eliminating its statehood, imposing a siege and changing its demographic composition. These measures constitute flagrant violations of the UN Charter, the relevant Security Council resolutions; and international law, including the Fourth

Geneva Convention.

During the last fourteen months, India has imprisoned all Kashmiri political

leaders, illegally detained 13,000 Kashmiri youth, tortured many of them, summarily executed young boys, put down protest violently, including the use of blinding pellet guns, and imposed collective punishments demolishing and burning entire neighborhoods and villages.

Not a single Indian soldier has been punished for these crimes.

One and a half million Indian settlers have been issued domicile certificates to transform IIOJK from a Muslim majority state into a Hindu majority tenitory.

11 This gross violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention may be a pre-cursor to mass atrocities and genocide.

Mr. Chairman,

All of this is well documented. The High Commissioner on Human Rights issued several statements since August 2019, urging India to "unlock the situation and fully restore the rights that are currently being denied" to the people ofIIOJK. The joint communication by eighteen Special Mandate Holders of the Human Rights

Council issued on 04 August has termed the human rights situation in IIOJK in

"free fall".

Major human rights organizations, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty

International, have expressed similar serious concerns about India's human rights violations, including in occupied Jammu and Kashmir. Indian authorities have failed to respond to any of these communications. In fact, a witch hunt has been launched against those who dare to report these crimes. Last week. Amnesty

International ceased work in India citing constant harassment at the hands of the government.

12 OIC Major States, the OIC Human Rights Commission and the Contact Group on

Jammu and Kashmir have called on India to halt its oppressive policies and actions and accept an international investigation.

Similar concerns have been voiced by political leaders and legislators in several countries, including the US, and Europe, including the Chairperson of the

European Parliament.

Appeasement of this Indian government abets impunity, begets violence and threatens regional peace and security.

The international community must demand that India halt its egregious violations of human rights of Kashmiris, accept an International Inquiry Commission and agree to implement the Security Council resolutions prescribing a plebiscite to enable the people of Jammu and Kashmir to exercise their right to self- determination.

I thank you

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