Pakistan voices concern over Venezuela tensions
Ambassador Usman Jadoon said in his address that instability in the region "does not augur well for regional and international peace and security." Photo: File
Pakistan on Monday expressed "profound concern" over the situation unfolding in Venezuela, cautioning that rising tensions there could threaten regional stability as well as international peace and security.
The statement was made at an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) called to discuss the recent developments in Venezuela. This is also the first meeting for the year of the UNSC, with Somalia in the chair.
Unilateral military action contravenes the sacrosanct principles of the UN Charter and the doctrine of sovereign immunity. Such actions set dangerous precedents that risk eroding the foundations of the global legal framework. They also fuel instability, which – as history has… pic.twitter.com/ZG56LiPt7g
Pakistan's Acting Permanent Representative Ambassador Usman Jadoon said in his address that at a time when the world was already facing several crises, instability in the region "does not augur well for regional and international peace and security".
"The UN Charter enjoins us to refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any State," he noted.
"Such actions set dangerous precedents that risk eroding the foundations of the global legal framework," he said, adding, "They also fuel instability, which - as history has shown time and again - can lead to unpredictable and uncontrollable outcomes for years to come."
At the outset, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres invoked the bedrock principle prohibiting the use of force against the territory and independence of any State, saying there must be "full respect" for the UN Charter, in the face of the US military intervention in Venezuela.
In a statement delivered by Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo, Guterres said the Council was meeting "at a grave time" following the 3 January US military action in Venezuela.
In his remarks, Ambassador Jadoon, voiced "profound concern" over the recent developments in Venezuela, saying, "In a world already beset by multiple crises, escalating tensions and instability in the Caribbean do not augur well for regional and international peace and security."