YouSaid · the spoken record

Ahmad

lines on the record: 388
first: 2000-03-09
most recent: 2023-11-29
sittings or episodes: 45
sources: un-security-council

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“Article 34 allows the Security Council to investigate situations which might lead to friction or dispute threatening international peace and security. Articles 36 and 37 lay out the responsibilities of the Council in preventing or resolving a dispute. The Secretary-General, under Article 99, also has a responsibility to bring to the notice of the Security Council any matter which may threaten the maintenance of international peace and security. This does not restrict the Secretary-General from using his good offices, fact-finding missions and personal envoys to prevent conflict. Article 29 of the Charter allows the establishment of subsidiary organs of the Security Council to assist it in its functions. Such mechanisms may be used to address conflict prevention on a continuing basis, as proposed in the Secretary-General's report.”
2001-06-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4334Resumption1 (2001) · source
“We feel that this report, in spite of some positive elements, offers no solution to the misery of millions of people in our region. We appreciate the Secretary-General's sincere efforts to tackle this complex subject in his comprehensive report. The answer to many questions, in our view, still lies in the faithful implementation of the provisions contained in the United Nations own Charter. Some of the provisions in particular need to be highlighted. For example, paragraph 1 of Article 1 commits the United Nations to taking effective collective measures for the prevention and removal of threats to peace. This gives the United Nations the lead role in conflict prevention. Under Chapter VI of the Charter, conflict prevention, as part of the pacific settlement of disputes, is established as a major function of the United Nations.”
2001-06-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4334Resumption1 (2001) · source
“The fact is that, in both cases, conflict continues, peace remains elusive and human misery is being aggravated. There should be no discrimination in the implementation of the resolutions of the Security Council on the basis of their adoption under Chapter VI or Chapter VII of the Charter. Such distinctions are irrelevant. Technicalities of this nature cannot be applied to a situation involving the destiny of a people or when there is a serious threat to the peace and security of a region. After all, both Chapter VI and Chapter VII are part of the same Charter. Therefore, it will come as no surprise that we, who have seen the United Nations fail to prevent or resolve conflicts so close to us, will be sceptical about how it intends to prevent conflicts in the near or distant future.”
2001-06-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4334Resumption1 (2001) · source
“Only a couple of months ago, in a similar debate in this body, I spoke of the inability to address the root causes 7 political expediency, the lack of political will and the failure of the United Nations, especially the Security Council, to honour its Charter obligations f as the main reasons for two of the most persistent conflicts that have been afflicting our own region. Ironically, it is the dichotomy of approach on the part of the Council which is causing this situation. Kashmir and Afghanistan are the classic examples of selectivity. Selectivity on Kashmir is seen in the Council's total inaction and inertia on its own resolutions and selectivity on Afghanistan is manifest in the excessive enactment of punitive measures and so-called smart sanctions, which have been hurting only the 25 million innocent people of Afghanistan.”
2001-06-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4334Resumption1 (2001) · source
“Similarly, the conflicts in the Balkans, the Horn of Africa and the African Great Lakes region cannot be attributed to social and economic causes alone. Poverty, hunger, disease, illiteracy and poor governance are the symptoms, not the causes, of these conflicts. The underlying political reasons in all these cases are too well known. Hammering away at socio- economic factors is an oversimplification of the matter. There are other deeper and intractable causes of all major conflicts and disputes which the Secretary- General's report has not been able to address.”
2001-06-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4334Resumption1 (2001) · source
“Even when the report tries to address potential conflicts, it has a tendency to confuse root causes of conflicts with their symptoms. Such misdiagnosis is often followed by a tendency to prescribe one set of medicines for all maladies. All potential future conflicts are assumed to be intra-State rather than both intra- and inter-State ones. All root causes are essentially described - I am referring to what was mentioned in the report a as economic and social, thereby ignoring the obvious political causes, which in fact are the real underlying reason for most conflicts and disputes. A simple glance across the globe will show this reality. There is no social or economic genesis to the conflicts in Palestine or Kashmir. Both are a legacy of political injustice and a manifestation of ongoing repression.”
2001-06-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4334Resumption1 (2001) · source
“The Secretary-General's report rightly states that the earlier a conflict-prone dispute is identified and addressed successfully, the less likely it is that the situation will deteriorate into violence. But a conflict can be addressed effectively and successfully only if this body, and in particular the Security Council, has the political will to do so. Too often this vital catalyst is conspicuous only by its absence, and too often good intentions have fallen victim to political expediency and power politics. As a result, disputes are allowed to fester and potentially dangerous situations allowed to explode. Bloody conflicts erupt and nations implode while the Council remains indifferent, like an ostrich with its head in the sand.”
2001-06-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4334Resumption1 (2001) · source
“If conflict prevention is the primary responsibility of national governments and civil society, then what is the raison d 'etre of the United Nations? If that were the case, we would be turning to Amnesty International or perhaps the Ted Turner Foundation for intervention, rather than to this Council. But we do not, and this is because the United Nations and no other institution has the primary role in conflict prevention. And conflicts are prevented through the peaceful settlement of disputes. Neither conflicts nor disputes can be wished away. Closing eyes to them or shifting responsibility is no solution and will be of no service to this Organization.”
2001-06-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4334Resumption1 (2001) · source
“In instances where two or more Member States are involved, the ultimate responsibility rests with this intergovernmental world body, this being one of its obligations under the Charter. Please note that the word "conflict" does not figure in the Charter even once, but this does not mean that the United Nations should absolve itself of the responsibilities assigned to it under both Chapters VI and VII for the pacific settlement of disputes and the maintenance of international peace and security. There is also no justification for selective implementation of the Security Council resolutions on the flimsy basis that some resolutions are more sacred than others because they carry the seal of Chapter VII. The Council should not act selectively or discriminate between regions and situations. It must implement all its resolutions and decisions.”
2001-06-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4334Resumption1 (2001) · source
“Chapter VI of the United Nations Charter has enough relevant material for him to work with. Now as to the report itself, well, there is much in it to be commended. We appreciate the seriousness of purpose with which the Secretary-General and his able team have worked on this report, and we compliment them. Much as one would like to go along with its contents, we cannot help but disagree with some of its basic premises and assumptions. There are some underlying contradictions. For instance, we do not think that Member States and civil society alone have the primary responsibility for conflict prevention. While they may have some responsibility in cases of intra-State conflicts, this does not hold true for cases of inter-State conflicts.”
2001-06-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4334Resumption1 (2001) · source
“We only hope that his good offices will also extend to those disputes that still remain before this Council, unresolved and outstanding. Two instances are worthy of his special attention because a lot of blood is flowing in these cases. These are Kashmir and Palestine. Both are cases of continued denial of the peoples' right to self-determination. Both caused wars and are still the scenes of armed conflicts between the struggling people and the occupation forces. Now that the Secretary-General's re-election has been sealed thanks to the exemplary leadership that he provided to the United Nations, we hope he will have no hesitation in assuming a more proactive role to facilitate a peaceful solution of the two issues. For modalities he does not need to await the final verdict on his report.”
2001-06-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4334Resumption1 (2001) · source
“First of all, Sir, let me say how happy we are to see you here once again, presiding over a meeting of the Security Council on a subject that is so vital and important to all of us. I should like to take this opportunity to compliment the Permanent Representative of Bangladesh, Ambassador Anwarul Karim Chowdhury, for conducting the affairs of the Council with remarkable ability and skill. I will begin by thanking the Secretary-General for his report on the prevention of armed conflict. Although the report took some time to mature, we are pleased to note that the Secretaries-General of this world body have always shown personal interest in conflict prevention and dispute settlement. We laud the efforts of the present incumbent in this connection.”
2001-06-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4334Resumption1 (2001) · source
“Accordingly, we follow a policy towards Afghanistan that seeks to support and supplement international efforts to promote a peaceful solution to the conflict and, indeed, a comprehensive solution to all of Afghanistan's problems. It is a comprehensive strategy we urge the international community to devise. Pakistan will not lag behind in contributing to this endeavour.”
2001-06-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4325Resumption1 (2001) · source
“While we are giving the Security Council our full cooperation - and will continue to do so - in the implementation of the sanctions regime in Afghanistan, unfair though it is, we would not like either the report of the Experts Committee which is under consideration by the Council or the creation of a monitoring mechanism to be used to unjustly implicate Pakistan. Baseless allegations, implicit or explicit, have been rejected by us in the past, and we reject them now. Security Council resolutions 1267 (1999) and 1333 (2000) must not be allowed to serve the narrow ulterior motives of a few. We have said it before, and I will say it again: no country in the world stands to gain more than Pakistan from the return of peace and stability in Afghanistan.”
2001-06-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4325Resumption1 (2001) · source
“If the Council is really interested in solving Afghanistan's problems, it must instead impose a comprehensive arms embargo - for which we have been pleading for years - which should be imposed under Chapter VII on all parties in Afghanistan. That would give both sides the same incentive to return to the negotiating table. The Council, as part of its Charter obligation, should seek to promote peace through engagement with the realities on the ground, and not through isolation and ostracism. The Council must not fuel the continuation of the conflict through a one-sided arms embargo. The Council should let the Secretary-General pursue his peace mission through dialogue and conciliation.”
2001-06-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4325Resumption1 (2001) · source
“Due to our proximity to Afghanistan, our difficulties as a neighbouring country need to be viewed from this perspective. Pronouncements from afar may appear convenient, but are flawed in their appreciation of the circumstances that are peculiar to Afghanistan. A one-sided arms embargo, for instance, is not the solution. It encourages the side exempt from the embargo to continue the conflict. There are credible reports that the northern alliance still continues to receive arms from the outside and is engaged in launching offensives, and arms are coming not only from the neighbouring countries, but also from those outside the neighbourhood.”
2001-06-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4325Resumption1 (2001) · source
“At that time we sheltered more than 4.5 million Afghan refugees, and we are still bearing the burden of the ongoing conflict, with the continued presence of more than 2 million refugees in Pakistan and an additional tens of thousands who have recently arrived. We have exhausted our patience and capacity to absorb any more refugees. We shelter the largest-ever refugee population anywhere in the world. What we need now are practical steps by the world community to deliver humanitarian relief inside Afghanistan to prevent the Afghans from fleeing their homes for neighbouring countries, and, for those already displaced, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and other international organizations should set up camps on the other side of the Afghan border to prevent any further influx into Pakistan.”
2001-06-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4325Resumption1 (2001) · source
“It is important, however, that while providing humanitarian assistance, international relief agencies must respect the religious and cultural sensitivities of the Afghan people. The international community also needs to appreciate the efforts that the Taliban have made to eradicate the cultivation of poppies, even at the cost of added hardship to Afghan farmers. The time has come to move away from the sanctions and towards a comprehensive strategy - one that heals the wounds and revives the body without damaging any part of it. Pakistan shouldered the main burden of the decade-long war against foreign occupation of Afghanistan.”
2001-06-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4325Resumption1 (2001) · source
“The sanctions have to be lifted and replaced with a system that aims at resolving all of Afghanistan's problems by addressing the bigger picture. The time has come to stop the obsession with one aspect of the Afghan problem and to concentrate on solving the entire problem comprehensively. To start with, efforts need to be made by all concerned to re- engage the Taliban and to bring them back from the position of insulation and intransigence. Engagement is the only solution. The peace process of Francesc Vendrell, which the Secretary-General launched with great enthusiasm, also needs to be put back on track. In addition, more concerted efforts and generous financial assistance should be forthcoming to alleviate the plight of hundreds of thousands of Afghans, both inside Afghanistan and in refugee camps in Pakistan.”
2001-06-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4325Resumption1 (2001) · source
“It appears that an inimical and rigid mindset prevails in this Council against a Government which is in control of more than 95 per cent of the country's territory. With peace becoming even more elusive than before, the misery of the Afghan people increasing by the hour, and the issues that motivated the sanctions remaining unresolved, the sanctions have done every harm, but no good. The scalpel has turned out to be a bludgeon which has destroyed the body, while the tumour festers unmolested. The wrong done now needs to be corrected. The damage done to the Afghan people needs to be reversed, and the ground lost by the peace process must be recovered. Isolation and ostracism have not helped, and they will not help.”
2001-06-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4325Resumption1 (2001) · source
“With almost 1 million internally displaced Afghans - and this is not my figure; this is the figure that has been given by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), a part of this very United Nations system a and with almost 200,000 people becoming refugees after the adoption of sanctions last year, no one can possibility deny the link between the sanctions and the grave humanitarian crisis afflicting the Afghan people. Innocent children have been dying in the freezing cold. You, Sir, must have seen the photographs in newspapers. Innocent children have been dying in the freezing cold of winter and the scorching heat of this summer, while the world looks the other way. The question is, why has the international community turned its back on a nation of 25 million people?”
2001-06-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4325Resumption1 (2001) · source
“Another victim is the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan. Much is being said about how the sanctions have no, or very little, impact on the humanitarian plight of the Afghans. This is blamed on the protracted conflict and the drought. This is at least what the world is being given to understand. Well, while these two factors have contributed to the humanitarian situation, they do not explain why Afghans did not begin their internal and external exodus until after December 2000, when this resolution- 1333 (2000) - was adopted. After the adoption of that resolution, what had been a trickle became a flood.”
2001-06-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4325Resumption1 (2001) · source
“And they suffer today because this esteemed Council, which is charged with maintaining international peace and security, has been enacting punitive measures against them. These sanctions are said to be a smart and sharp instrument, like a scalpel, to remove a tumour without harming any other part of the body. We wish it were so. Instead, the sanctions have achieved precious little and yet destroyed much. One victim has been the peace process initiated by the Secretary-General through his Personal Representative, Francesc Vendrell. Mr. Vendrell, who had made a spectacular breakthrough in negotiations between the warring sides just before resolution 1333 (2000) was bulldozed through this Council, now finds himself on the sidelines, with the United Nations being accused of bias, discrimination and partisanship.”
2001-06-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4325Resumption1 (2001) · source
“The misery and suffering of the Afghans continued unabated. Obviously the plight of the Afghan people cannot be attributed to the Taliban, who emerged on the scene only some six years ago. The Afghans have been suffering for more than two decades. What has the international community done to alleviate their sufferings during these two decades? The Afghanistan problem is not about the Taliban. It is not about terrorism or drugs alone. It is about 25 million Afghan people who continue to suffer, and they continue to suffer because they have given so much for the cause of freedom. They suffered when they were forced to fight the Soviet forces. They suffered when warlords were pillaging the country.”
2001-06-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4325Resumption1 (2001) · source
“With the end of Soviet occupation, the Afghan people rightly expected an environment of peace and reconstruction for their country, with external help and assistance. Unfortunately, the international community did not respond to the legitimate expectations of the Afghan people, who found themselves left by the wayside. After having used them to secure certain strategic objectives, the international community abandoned the Afghan people at the time when they needed the maximum external support and involvement in order to reconstruct their war-ravaged country and rebuild their shattered lives. The Soviet occupation of Afghanistan was followed by a fratricidal civil war. The warlords- some of whom are still there a who fought against the Soviet occupation forces started fighting one another after the Soviet withdrawal.”
2001-06-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4325Resumption1 (2001) · source
“So much has happened since that fateful December: the Berlin Wall has fallen; the cold war has come to an end; the Soviet Union has become history; the map of the world has changed; the dawn of the new millennium has arrived; and, strangely enough, old enemies have become new partners. Yet in Afghanistan, the victims remain the same. The anguish and pain of the people of Afghanistan remain undiminished, while their torment continues unabated. Afghanistan was the last battle front of the cold war. It served as a catalyst to release energies that eventually brought about an end to that era of confrontation. The world as we know it today might not be the same had it not been for the immense sacrifices that the valiant people of Afghanistan made for the cause of freedom and the free world.”
2001-06-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4325Resumption1 (2001) · source
“We are adhering to the resolutions on Afghanistan, even though we are not in favour of sanctions as a matter of principle. We believe that sanctions are an unjust instrument, and that they are never productive. They never produce the desired results; they only hurt the common people. There are no smart sanctions; there are only dumb sanctions. The question is, what have these sanctions achieved? There is a symbolic link between the sanctions and the tragedy in Afghanistan. The latest sanctions - those provided for in resolution 1333 (2000) - were enacted in the very week last December that marked the twenty-first anniversary of the invasion of Afghanistan by the former Soviet Union. That invasion triggered a tragic conflict which has yet to come to an end.”
2001-06-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4325Resumption1 (2001) · source
“While we categorically reject some baseless allegations contained in the report, let me take this opportunity to reaffirm, on behalf of my Government, that Pakistan, as a responsible and law-abiding Member of the United Nations, has been, and will remain, in full compliance with Security Council resolutions 1267 (1999) and 1333 (2000). We have been extending our fullest cooperation to the Security Council, and, as I said earlier, we will continue to do so. We welcomed the Committee of Experts to Pakistan, under the chairmanship of Ambassador Menkerios, during its fact-finding visit. We extended to it full cooperation in good faith as part of our policy of compliance with all Security Council resolutions, without any discrimination.”
2001-06-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4325Resumption1 (2001) · source
“I should like to begin by congratulating you, Mr. President, on once again assuming the presidency of the Security Council for the current month. It is, indeed, a pleasure to see you presiding over the Council as the representative of a country with which we value our strong fraternal relations. Since this meeting is ostensibly devoted to the report of the Committee of Experts on the implementation of sanctions, it is for the members of the Council to discuss and examine the content of the Committee's report. For our part, we are in the process of examining the recommendations and will formulate our position on the proposed monitoring mechanism, keeping in mind its feasibility, practicality and effectiveness, given the length and porous nature of the Afghan border.”
2001-06-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4325Resumption1 (2001) · source
“We reiterate here our commitment to the restoration of durable peace in Afghanistan through dialogue and conciliation, and to a final settlement of the Kashmir dispute in accordance with Security Council resolutions and the aspirations of the people of Kashmir. In conclusion, I wish to refer to the Secretary- General's desire to work towards a culture of protection, and to his earlier call for the creation of a climate of compliance with the existing rules and principles. While, admittedly, the primary responsibility for the protection of civilians in armed conflict rests with Governments, it is also incumbent on the Security Council to fulfil its own obligations, as guarantor of international peace and security, to provide protection to all civilians in armed conflict.”
2001-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4312Resumption1 (2001) · source
“I must say that there are no smart sanctions, nor targeted sanctions, only unjust sanctions. The Council must eschew adopting resolutions that only suit the self-serving interests of a few Powers. Fifthly, when mandating the protection of civilians in peacekeeping operations, the Security Council should also provide peacekeepers with adequate resources and means to perform the task. Pakistan is prepared, as always, to play its part in promoting international peace and security, whether in United Nations peacekeeping operations or in conflict prevention and dispute resolution in our region.”
2001-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4312Resumption1 (2001) · source
“Peace is the ultimate and only guarantee of security to civilians in any armed conflict. Secondly, the focus of the international community should be devoted to conflict prevention and dispute resolution, as stipulated in Chapter VI of the United Nations Charter, so that conflicts which result in the targeting of civilians are not allowed to take place in the first instance. Root causes of conflicts must therefore be addressed. Thirdly, the United Nations capacity to respond effectively to conflict situations should be strengthened, irrespective of geographic location, in order to provide protection to civilians. Fourthly, we would like to see the Council actively, but objectively, involve itself in reviewing the humanitarian impact of its decisions, especially with regard to sanctions.”
2001-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4312Resumption1 (2001) · source
“While the Secretary-General's report will be closely studied by my Government, I would like to give our preliminary comments on its recommendations, as well as some of our suggestions. First, we support the Secretary-General's recommendations for the Security Council to engage with parties and carry out fact- finding missions for providing humanitarian assistance and protection to vulnerable populations. In this connection, we are appreciative of the contribution that Under-Secretary-General Oshima has been making in evaluating and highlighting the seriousness and magnitude of humanitarian tragedies, whether caused by natural disasters or man-made. In this regard, we would encourage the Council to go a step further and actively engage the armed factions to seek a peaceful solution to a conflict.”
2001-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4312Resumption1 (2001) · source
“In this humanitarian crisis, we are blamed if we help them, and we are blamed if we do not. As we keep staging debates in this Chamber, the world outside stands sadly disillusioned. People are groping for the idealism and moralism that inspired the vision of the United Nations Charter. Unfortunately, armed conflicts continue to rage in all parts of the world, causing human misery and hardship, affecting millions of people, civilian people. Why can we not prevent armed conflicts in time? Why can we not help resolve disputes? Why can we not heal the wounds caused by these disputes? And why can the Security Council not fulfil its Charter obligations of maintaining international peace and security?”
2001-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4312Resumption1 (2001) · source
“In the case of Afghanistan, the Council has shown indecent haste in adopting resolutions to enact sanctions against 26 million innocent people. And the conflict continues - in Kashmir because of deliberate inaction by this body, and in Afghanistan because of its precipitous actions. Both present tragic humanitarian scenarios - in Kashmir as a result of brutal oppression by the occupying force, and in Afghanistan as a result of the cruelty of sanctions and a one-sided arms embargo, which have scuttled the Secretary-General's peace initiative through his Personal Representative, Mr. Francesc Vendrell, and displaced nearly a million Afghans. Hundreds of thousands of these displaced Afghans have crossed into Pakistan during the past four months, joining the 2.5 million of their compatriots already living there as refugees.”
2001-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4312Resumption1 (2001) · source
“How can we talk of learning lessons from past tragedies when we have not even begun to consider the resolution of the "forgotten conflicts" in Kashmir and Afghanistan? All efforts aimed at protecting civilians will remain futile as long as the Council fails to address the root causes of conflicts. The Council's attitude towards the tragedies in Kashmir and Afghanistan reflects an arbitrary approach, far removed from the principles and values for which this body stands. No amount of lofty rhetoric can hide the humanitarian agony in both cases. Ironically, in the case of Kashmir, this Council has closed its eyes to its own resolutions pledging the right of self-determination to the people of Kashmir.”
2001-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4312Resumption1 (2001) · source
“While the Council can be faulted for not doing enough, it can also be criticized for not doing anything at all. The glaring example is that of Kashmir, where 70,000 innocent civilians have lost their lives during the last 10 years alone at the hands of a repressive occupying force. At times, the Council's decisions have even had an adverse impact on civilian populations rather than protecting them. For example, Security Council resolution 1333 (2000) on Afghanistan has actually endangered the lives of civilians by exempting one party from the arms embargo and emboldening it to continue the conflict. While people die and flee their homes, the Security Council has put its search for peace in both these conflicts on the back burner.”
2001-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4312Resumption1 (2001) · source
“It is our collective responsibility to ensure effective adherence to these principles of international law. At the same time, it is also the obligation of the Security Council to take necessary measures to ensure the protection of civilians. But we have seen the Council fail so many times in meeting this obligation. Rwanda and Srebrenica are painful reminders of what the Council could have done but was unable to do. Again, its recent failure to protect Palestinian civilians reflects the paralysis that afflicts the Council. The deaths of valiant Pakistani and Belgian peacekeepers in Mogadishu and Kigali, respectively, testify to the unrealistic mandates which United Nations troops are often called upon to uphold, even at the cost of their own lives.”
2001-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4312Resumption1 (2001) · source
“The excessively high proportion of civilian casualties in conflicts, as mentioned in the Secretary- General's report, and the distressing reality of tens of millions of refugees and internally displaced persons, indeed make for alarming statistics. I am sure that my good friend Under-Secretary-General Oshima is conscious of this bleak reality. Pakistan, which has carried the burden of Afghan refugees on its soil for more than two decades, is all too keenly aware of the plight of people forced to leave their homes. We therefore unequivocally condemn the targeting of civilians in armed conflicts. Unfortunately, the targeting of civilians takes place in spite of the existence of internationally recognized legal principles which have evolved over the years to protect civilians, refugees and humanitarian personnel.”
2001-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4312Resumption1 (2001) · source
“I would like to express our appreciation to the Secretary-General for his second comprehensive report on the protection of civilians in armed conflict (S/2001/33l). I hope that the Council's debate today will help create better awareness amongst Member States of the gravity and complexity of the problem, which needs to be addressed as a matter of priority. It is a matter of grave concern for us that violence against civilians in situations of armed conflict has reached alarming proportions and is directed in most cases against women, children and other vulnerable groups, resulting in the displacement of large masses of population.”
2001-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4312Resumption1 (2001) · source
“Prompt action is therefore required, particularly by the Security Council, to protect the Palestinians, to ensure the safety and sanctity of Al-CDs Al-Sheriff and to facilitate the realization of the national rights of the Palestinian people. The prospects of peace in that region once again rest with this body. How many more innocent people will have to die, and not just in Palestine but also in other "forgotten" conflict areas, like Kashmir, before this Council finds the resolve and capability to fulfil its own responsibilities and Charter obligations? How long shall we continue to wait for the oppressed peoples in all parts of the world to regain their fundamental rights and for the conscience of humanity to awaken to the imperatives of justice and fair play?”
2001-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4295Resumption2 (2001) · source
“We believe that no lasting peace in the Middle East would be possible without achieving a peaceful settlement of the question of Palestine in accordance with the relevant Security Council resolutions. The realization of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people and the withdrawal of Israel from the Palestinian territory, including the dismantling of illegal settlements, are essential for any meaningful progress in the peace process. An overarching peace settlement for the Middle East question, by definition, must also include the vacation of the Syrian Govan Heights by Israel and full respect for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Lebanon. Long-term stability and security for all in the region can be guaranteed only on the basis of the principle of land for peace.”
2001-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4295Resumption2 (2001) · source
“In this regard we also call on the Security Council to take urgent steps to safeguard peace and security in the region. Last year we saw bold steps taken in the direction of peace. But soon thereafter we also saw how the provocative actions of some individuals severely undermined the progress towards peace. This progress now stands blocked by intransigence. The international community must not allow the continuation of such a state of affairs, which could only wreck the future of the Middle East. Instead, the Israeli leadership must be compelled to return to the negotiating table in good faith. The process of peace, which has been so cruelly derailed, needs to be urgently put back on track.”
2001-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4295Resumption2 (2001) · source
“The international community, particularly the guarantors of the peace process, must use their influence and good offices to ensure full Israeli compliance with the peace agreements and with its legal obligations and responsibilities as an occupying Power, under the Fourth Geneva Convention of 12 August 1949. The second issue is the broader, fundamental issue of the realization by the Palestinians of their inalienable rights. This involves a concerted approach aimed at the restoration of the peace process. It is essential to facilitate the fulfilment of all agreements reached and to implement Council resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973) in order to avert the region's return to conflict. We urge the parties concerned to take the necessary measures to end hostilities and restore calm.”
2001-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4295Resumption2 (2001) · source
“The first is of a more immediate nature: the protection of the Palestinian people, who are being subjected to the repressive and disproportionate use of force as well as Virtual economic strangulation. We urge the Security Council to take the necessary measures to protect the Palestinian people by deploying a United Nations observer force in the occupied Palestinian territory, including Jerusalem. Such a measure is the least that can be done to prevent the aggravation of the situation on the ground. In addition, further actions need to be taken to end the violence in Palestine. As in the case of other peoples under foreign occupation, Pakistan has been a steadfast supporter of the just struggle of the Palestinian people for their inalienable rights.”
2001-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4295Resumption2 (2001) · source
“Yet the Palestinians have not been given the land that is theirs by right. Peace in the Middle East still remains as elusive as ever. As the Council's resolutions remain unimplemented, the Palestinian people and others in similar circumstances continue to be deprived of their right of self-determination. While we have waited for this body to act and to implement its own resolutions, flickers of hope have turned into ashes of despair. Unfortunately, power politics and political expediency have continued to disable this body in addressing its Charter obligations. The present deteriorating situation no doubt warrants our urgent attention. The international community must act with determination to prevent the situation from worsening. There are two issues at stake here.”
2001-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4295Resumption2 (2001) · source
“This was, as I said then, "only one glimpse of the fate that is suffered by thousands of children in different parts of the world that are under foreign occupation or in conflict situations" (S/PV4204 (Resumption I), p. 4). The tragedy is that, in these last five months, scores more of innocent people have died. I ask the Council again: are the killings of children not sufficient reminders that a part of humanity dies each time an innocent life is snuffed by violence? We have debated in this very Chamber the issue of Palestine for well over half a century. The international community has unequivocally pronounced its support for the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people. Security Council resolutions have also called for Israel's withdrawal from the occupied territories.”
2001-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4295Resumption2 (2001) · source
“My first word must be one of gratitude to you, Mr. President, for suspending the debate on Friday and carrying it over the weekend. Whether you say it or not, I take it that, since I was travelling overseas, you awaited my return so that I could come and make this statement personally today. I am indeed privileged to be the first speaker this afternoon in this important meeting. Once again we return to this Chamber, as we have done so many times before, to discuss the issue of Palestine, an issue which, like others, remains on the agenda of this Council, unresolved. As the Council will recall, on 4 October last year, in this very room, we spoke of the image of that small child, Mohammed Al-Durra, lying at his father's side as the last breath of life slipped out of him.”
2001-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4295Resumption2 (2001) · source
“The Council must find ways to address all conflict situations, without exception or discrimination, and try to resolve them. Let us not have a recurrence of Sierra Leones in future. There should be "no exit without strategy", but the aim of this strategy must be to resolve disputes by addressing their root causes.”
2000-11-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4223Resumption1 (2000) · source
“The agenda of the Security Council, this very august body, and its debates of the forties, sixties, seventies and nineties bear witness to the lingering tragedy of Kashmir, where the era of foreign occupation and brutal repression has yet to end. The United Nations must redeem its pledge to the people of Kashmir by implementing the relevant Security Council resolutions. Kashmir today is not only a lurking threat to world peace and security but also a litmus test for the credibility of the United Nations. It has become the touchstone of the moral and legal underpinnings of the very United Nations system. Peacekeeping is an important task, but the making and preservation of peace must not be left to the peacekeepers. This is the domain of the Security Council.”
2000-11-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4223Resumption1 (2000) · source