Festering disputes: Address injustices, Pakistan tells UN

Responsibility to protect cannot be delegated: delegate.


July 16, 2011

UNITED NATIONS:


Pakistan has told the UN General Assembly that the doctrine of responsibility to protect the international understanding to intervene and stop atrocities from taking place would remain a ‘hollow concept’ without addressing the historical injustices such as festering disputes and foreign occupation.


“The use of regional mechanisms or early warning systems and need for prompt response are equally important for new and old disputes/situations,” Pakistani delegate Raza Bashir Tarar said in the course of the General Assembly’s interactive dialogue on the responsibility to protect.

“Addressing all situations in an impartial manner is the key to achieving consensus on this concept,” Tarar added.

Agreed at a summit of world leaders in 2005 and sometimes known as “R2P”, the concept holds states responsible for shielding their own populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing, and related crimes against humanity and requires the international community to step in if this obligation is not met.

Intervening in the debate, the Pakistani delegate made it clear that responsibility to protect remains the primary responsibility of the state and cannot be arrogated by or delegated to other actors in defiance of the established UN charter principles of non-intervention, national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

He said situations have to be dealt with objectively on a case-by-case basis. The use of peaceful means should always precede actions under Chapter VII (enforcement measures) with full involvement of regional mechanisms.

The Pakistani delegate also cautioned against a one-size-fits-all approach, saying eschewing incitement and respecting diversity are key ingredients of prevention methodologies.

“To preserve these valuable principles, the right to freedom of expression must be exercised with responsibility,” he stressed.

“Politicised decision making has only led to prolonged suffering of peoples under foreign occupation and erosion of faith in the UN’s ability to act as an honest broker,” Tarrar added.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 16th, 2011.

COMMENTS (20)

Raj | 12 years ago | Reply Once upon a time Muslims were very strong and India was under their law and order.Now time has changed. Independent India is much stronger than independent Pakistan, therefore weaker Pakistan cannot dictate her will on stronger India. Pakistan has to become a very strong nation in order to dictate to India, till then we should live and let live in peace as all of us will be dead in long run. Pakistan should develop Indo-China type relations with India. India cannot dictate to China, and Pakistan cannot dictate to India. Emphasis should be trade,exchange, tourism, etc. not on hate and war mongering. Both the countries should have bare enough Army to meet the internal threats and natural calamities.
Far-Sighted | 12 years ago | Reply

Let there be peace. It should start with UN giving freedom to the Indian occupied Kashmir - they deserved their freedom even more urgently like East Timur and South Sudan. If UN can do for newest issues like East Timur and South Sudan than it is only Just and humane to do it for such an old UN human right resolution. Puting it in the back burner will not let it go away as India would wish. It would rather promote more injustice and harm for the region. Kashmir issue is an age old issue and stands on its own merit and UN should not allow India to keep on railroading it. . . The power of UN ought to be greater than the unjust voice of India! The people of Kashmir are human beings too and hold UN accountable for forgetting and letting them suffer for so long, and UN should resolve this as a priority without much delay.

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