UN passes Pakistan’s resolution on right to self-determination

NEW YORK: The United Nations General Assembly's (UNGA) Third Committee which deals with social, humanitarian and cultural issues unanimously passed Pakistan's resolution on the right to self-determination.

Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN Dr Maleeha Lodhi took to Twitter and said, “Introducing Pakistan’s resolution on the right of self-determination which was adopted unanimously by the UN’s Third Committee today with a record number of 83 countries cosponsoring it.

She added, “Co-sponsorship by 83 countries of Pakistan’s resolution on self-determination was reaffirmation of the international community’s continued support for people’s right to self-determination as a fundamental human right.”

The draft resolution, which reaffirms the right to self-determination for people who are subjected to colonial, foreign and alien occupation, will now go up to the 193-member Assembly for official endorsement next month.

Speaking to APP, the Pakistan envoy to UN said, "Adoption of the resolution reaffirms the inviolability of the right to self-determination for all peoples without exception, including the people of Jammu and Kashmir and Palestine".

"Pakistan has historically been a proud champion of self-determination, helping many states achieve independence. Our support for the right of peoples to self-determination against alien domination and foreign occupation remains undiminished,” she added.

Earlier, the ambassador while introducing the resolution in the committee said the right to self- determination "forms the bedrock" of the most important human rights conventions, the covenant of civil and political rights and the covenant of economic social and cultural rights.

This year, the sponsorship of the resolution increased by eight, indicating the growing support for the peoples who have not yet exercised their inalienable right to self-determination.

Under the terms of the resolution, the General Assembly would reaffirm the universal realisation of the rights of all peoples, including those under colonial, foreign and alien domination, to self-determination as a fundamental condition for the effective guarantee and observance of human rights.

Diplomatic observers say the resolution serves to focus the world’s attention on the struggle by peoples for their inalienable right to self-determination, including those in Kashmir and Palestine.

Further, the resolution also declared the General Assembly's firm opposition to acts of foreign military intervention, aggression and occupation. The resolution also called on those states responsible to cease immediately their military intervention in and occupation of foreign countries and territories, as well as all acts of repression, discrimination, exploitation and maltreatment.

In her remarks, Ambassador Lodhi said, "It was the extensive exercise of this right during the latter half of the last century that effectively closed the dark chapter of colonisation and resulted in the emergence of many nation states that are represented here today.”

She also thanked the co-sponsors for showing their "firm and unwavering commitment to the right to self-determination for all occupied, oppressed and suffering people of the world.”

"The General Assembly’s consistent support is commendable, as it reaffirms the continued relevance of the right to self-determination, and sends a strong message of support to peoples everywhere in the world who still find themselves subjugated and oppressed,” she said.