Festering disputes: Address injustices, Pakistan tells UN
Responsibility to protect cannot be delegated: delegate.
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.
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.