UN Assembly: Inter-faith harmony panels set up in all districts, says Aizaz

Foreign secretary affirms commitment to nuclear disarmament

ISLAMABAD:

Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry underscored Pakistan’s contribution to international efforts for global peace and dialogue, as well as the resolution on “promotion of Inter-religious and Inter-Cultural Dialogue, Understanding and Cooperation for Peace” while representing the nation at the Group of Friends Ministerial Meeting of the United Nations Alliance of Civilisations in New York on Friday.

A statement issued by the Foreign Office quoted the foreign secretary as saying that Pakistan had established a Ministry of National Harmony to promote interfaith dialogue and harmony in the country. Inter-faith harmony committees had been established in all districts of the country where representatives of all faiths and religions interact.

The meeting was chaired by UN Secretary General’s High Representative for the Alliance, Ambassador Nassir Abdulaziz al Nasser of Qatar and addressed by high-level representatives including Foreign Minister of Spain, Turkish Minister for EU Affairs and the President of 69th UN General Assembly. The theme of this year’s meeting was “New and Emerging Ideological Threats to Global Peace and Co-Existence”.

Appreciating the UNAOC’s initiatives on protecting religious freedoms, fostering media pluralism and gearing education and youth towards strengthening intercultural links, the foreign secretary assured of Pakistan’s continued support to the work of Alliance to help achieve the cause of global peace and prosperity.



Chaudhry also attended an informal ministerial meeting commemorating the international day for the total elimination of nuclear weapons on Friday. Addressing the meeting, he stated that Pakistan supports the global consensus reached on the disarmament agenda during the first special session at the UN General Assembly on disarmament in 1978, which called for general and complete disarmament under effective international control. He added that Pakistan remains fully committed to the goal of universal, non-discriminatory, and verifiable nuclear disarmament.

The foreign secretary also stated that pursuant to Resolution 68/32, Pakistan calls for commencement of negotiations in the conference on disarmament, without delay, on a comprehensive nuclear weapons convention that prohibits the possession, development, production, acquisition, testing, stockpiling, transfer, use or threat of use of nuclear weapons, and provides for their destruction.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 28^th, 2014.