YouSaid · the spoken record

Lodhi

lines on the record: 545
first: 2015-03-16
most recent: 2019-10-29
sittings or episodes: 79
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

“My country's own experience shows that giving women a key role brings fresh perspectives and builds a solid foundation for a vibrant society. We remain determined to carry forward our ambitious domestic agenda for women's empowerment and gender mainstreaming, which my country's new Government has made a top priority, and we will continue to engage constructively with the international community in that regard.”
2018-10-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8382 (2018) · source
“Fourthly, despite clear evidence to suggest that the active participation of women during peace processes significantly enhances the prospects for success, women continue to remain on the sidelines of the peace continuum. Women's special skills in mediation makes them particularly suited as the Secretary-General's Special Envoys and Special Representatives. Yet there are few who head such missions. That clearly needs to change. Fifthly, to ensure the greater participation of women in peacekeeping mandates, gender perspectives need to be fully integrated into the peacebuilding paradigm to reinforce the protection environment. That would greatly enhance women's role in peace accords, as well as in post-conflict stabilization and reconstruction phases.”
2018-10-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8382 (2018) · source
“First, the Security Council must play its primary role of maintaining peace and security by focusing on the root causes of conflicts, especially on the protracted disputes on its agenda, like Jammu and Kashmir and Palestine, where women suffer disproportionately from the violence caused by foreign occupation. Secondly, the international community must ensure that equal attention is given to all four pillars of the women and peace and security agenda - prevention, participation, protection and recovery - and that the framework is implemented at all levels. Thirdly, national human rights institutions are a critical link in the chain of accountability for women's rights violations, as well as their prevention. Efforts to strengthen their work should be supported.”
2018-10-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8382 (2018) · source
“Over the years, the women and peace and security agenda has become a powerful vehicle to ensure the feminization of peace in a post-conflict environment. Yet - and here is the paradox - women remain largely invisible to and excluded from peace processes and negotiations. The women and peace and security agenda, at its core, is an attempt to bring new perspectives to conflict resolution. It focuses on the root causes and drivers of conflicts and shines a much-needed light on the most oppressed and marginalized. By focusing on creating an enabling environment for the more meaningful participation of women, it also aims to bring them to the table as true stakeholders, able to define and protect their interests. In that regard, I would like to emphasize briefly five specific points.”
2018-10-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8382 (2018) · source
“Delayed and weak responses - often dictated by big-Power rivalry and expedient policies - are perpetuating human suffering. In all that turmoil, instability and chaos, women, especially young girls, continue to suffer disproportionate and lasting consequences. In many conflict zones, they remain soft targets, often exploited by aggressors with impunity as a war tactic to humiliate and terrorize civilians. The Security Council's landmark resolution 1325 (2000) was a watershed moment that rightfully brought women's issues to the centre of the global conflict prevention debate and in the larger context of international peace and security. Women across the world, as other speakers acknowledged earlier, have emerged as leaders and consensus-builders, inspiring hopes of peace and prosperity amid conflict and violence.”
2018-10-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8382 (2018) · source
“At the outset, let me thank Bolivia for organizing this open debate on this very important issue. We also thank the briefers for their insightful remarks. Ending conflicts, forging peace, alleviating human suffering, addressing injustice, protecting human rights and placing the world on a safer path are at the heart of our work here at the United Nations, whose seventy- third anniversary we marked only yesterday. While considerable progress has been made at the normative level on several counts, conflicts and violence are in fact on the rise. According to the Secretary General's report (S/2018/900), more countries are experiencing some form of violent conflict than at any time in the past 30 years. Conflicts are also becoming ever- more complex and protracted.”
2018-10-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8382 (2018) · source
“Over the years, as international efforts to bring an end to the suffering of the Palestinian people have faltered and failed, the burning cauldron of anger and pervasive sense of injustice have inescapably sown the seeds of animosity and violence in the entire region, fuelling instability and intensifying insecurity across the Middle East. If we want to put out these fires of conflict, we must act decisively against injustice and oppression across the region and across the world. It is time to bring an end to the tragedy of Palestine. It is time to inspire hopes of peace and mutual coexistence for the entire region. Despite the heavy odds, our pursuit of this worthy endeavour should be renewed with even greater resolve and determination.”
2018-10-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8375Resumption1 (2018) · source
“Syrian stakeholders are working towards the establishment of an inclusive constitutional committee, and we commend the diligent efforts over the past five years ofthe Secretary General's outgoing Special Envoy, Staffan de Mistura, in pursuit of the goal of a negotiated settlement in Syria. Pakistan will continue to lend its support to a negotiated settlement in Yemen, based on agreed frameworks and through inclusive political engagement. Immediate measures to alleviate the humanitarian suffering of the Yemeni people must remain an equally urgent international priority. The plight of the Palestinians is as old as the United Nations itself. It is also intrinsic and integral to lasting peace in the region.”
2018-10-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8375Resumption1 (2018) · source
“As members of the international community, we must collectively endeavour to preserve the integrity of the Agency's core services to 5.3 million Palestinian refugees. Pakistan's commitment to our Palestinian brethren remains firm and abiding. As an expression of our solidarity, Pakistan will make an additional contribution to UNRWA this year. The international community must also continue to lend its voice in support of a two-State solution, based on agreed parameters and the 1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as the capital of the Palestinian State. As instability and violence continue to ravage many parts of the Middle East, the imperative for diplomatic solutions is more urgent than ever.”
2018-10-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8375Resumption1 (2018) · source
“The decision by the United States to cease all financial support for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has not only cast a deep shadow of uncertainty over the long-term sustainability of many of its critical activities, including education, health and social services, it also runs the risk of unravelling the peace dividend gained through the work of that important Agency. From its very inception, UNRWA has served as a vehicle for political stability and social cohesion in its areas of operation. The humanitarian needs ofthe Palestinian refugees should not be sacrificed at the altar of political expediency and narrow interests, all the more so when the prospect for a just settlement of the Palestine issue remains more distant than ever.”
2018-10-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8375Resumption1 (2018) · source
“The illegal expansion of Israeli settlements into the occupied territory continues with intensity and impunity. The recent Israeli decision to dismantle the Bedouin community of Khan Al-Ahmar is only one more manifestation of the occupying Power's long-standing policy of forcibly displacing Palestinians from their lands. That measure takes fresh aim at the roots of Palestinian identity and their existence as a people. The killing fields of Gaza continue to be drenched with the blood of innocent Palestinians - over 200 civilians have been killed since peaceful protests began in March, including another seven on 12 October.”
2018-10-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8375Resumption1 (2018) · source
“We thank the Bolivian presidency for organizing this open debate. We are meeting at a particularly poignant juncture in the political history of the Middle East. Today, on the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Oslo Accords, the sense of hope and optimism created by the two-State solution has given way to despondency and despair. As the fundamental tenets of the two-State solution are being systematically dismantled in the plain sight of the international community, it comes as no surprise that there are few people in the region who believe that peace can be achieved in their lifetime. Many more question if peace is at all possible. An unfortunate sequence of events has exacerbated that sense of despondency. Long-standing resolutions of the Security Council on the status of Jerusalem have been flouted and cast aside.”
2018-10-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8375Resumption1 (2018) · source
“Finally, let me say that the bonds ofblood, language, faith, geography and history that bind the peoples of Pakistan and Afghanistan to each other are immutable and unbreakable. Our destinies are, and will always remain, intertwined. Cooperation between Pakistan and Afghanistan is in the mutual and vital interests of both countries. We stand committed to working with the Afghan Government for the improvement of our bilateral relationship and for the promotion of peace and stability - in both our countries and across the region.”
2018-09-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8354 (2018) · source
“The inaugural session of that body was held in Kabul in July, and the operationalization of its five working groups will enable us address all bilateral issues, including broadening economic interaction, border management and refugee repatriation. We have taken a number of initiatives to support Afghanistan's economic development. At Kabul's request, Pakistan waived regulatory duties on imports from Afghanistan. As a result, a substantial increase in Afghan exports to Pakistan has been recorded in 2018. We are also ready to extend all possible support to Kabul to overcome the growing challenge posed by illicit drug production and trade. The international community, too, should do more to help Afghanistan in developing a comprehensive strategy to address that problem.”
2018-09-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8354 (2018) · source
“Da'esh and a number of terrorist groups operating under its umbrella, including the Tehrik-i-Taliban and Jamaat- ul-Ahrar, pose a threat to Afghanistan, its neighbours and, indeed, to the world. We agree with the Russian delegation that an international effort is needed to defeat Da'esh in Afghanistan. Cooperation between Pakistan and Afghanistan is a vital component of the endeavour to realize peace and security within Afghanistan and the entire region. Strengthening bilateral relations is a priority for my country's new Government. The Afghanistan- Pakistan Action Plan for Peace and Solidarity provides a framework for comprehensive and structured engagement between our two countries.”
2018-09-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8354 (2018) · source
“Preconditions have been set by some of the main parties to commence and continue a dialogue process. The principal responsibility for seizing the moment rests on the parties directly involved in the Afghan conflict. Unless they display flexibility, serious negotiations for a political settlement could be further delayed. To create an environment for peace talks, all sides should agree on a de-escalation of violence, if not a cessation of violence. For its part, Pakistan will actively encourage, support and facilitate all efforts to launch a credible and serious peace process. A negotiated peace and national reconciliation is all the more essential to enable the Afghan people and the international community to confront and eliminate the growing presence of Da'esh in Afghanistan.”
2018-09-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8354 (2018) · source
“Apart from the general desire for peace, the ceasefire affirmed that peace was possible if the principal parties in Afghanistan desired it. Pakistan welcomes the Trump Administration's acknowledgement that a negotiated political settlement is the best option for bringing its longest war to an end. Pakistan has urged this course of action for well over a decade. The United Nations and the international community have consistently declared that there is no military solution to the conflict and that it must be ended through a negotiated political settlement. Agreement on launching a negotiating process is, however, neither simple nor easy. Several past attempts have been aborted by unilateral actions. There is little trust between the main antagonists.”
2018-09-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8354 (2018) · source
“Afghanistan was also the first country to be visited by Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Hussain Qureshi over the last weekend, which is a clear signal of the importance that our new Government attaches to its relations with Afghanistan and of its commitment to promoting peace and stability in that country. His message in Kabul was that Pakistan remained ready to play a constructive role in facilitating peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan. There are some signs that a negotiated end to Afghanistan's protracted war may be possible. Hopes for peace received a boost last June when President Ashraf Ghani announced a ceasefire on the religious festival of Eid al-Fitr, and the Afghan Taliban did the same. For a few days, the ceasefire was comprehensively observed across the country by the Government and the Tehrik-e Taliban Afghanistan.”
2018-09-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8354 (2018) · source
“Apart from Afghanistan itself, no country has suffered more from the four decades of war, turmoil and foreign interventions in Afghanistan, and no country has more to gain from peace there, than mine, Pakistan. For many years, Imran Khan, Pakistan's recently elected Prime Minister, has declared that peace in Afghanistan can be restored only through a negotiated political settlement between the principal parties. In his very first address to the nation after the elections, Prime Minister Khan reaffirmed Pakistan's support for peace, stability and prosperity in Afghanistan.”
2018-09-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8354 (2018) · source
“I, too, should like to begin by thanking Special Representative of the Secretary- General Yamamoto for his briefing. The situation in Afghanistan remains a source of concern for the entire international community. A long war continues, exacerbated by terrorism, ethnic and regional tensions, and a fragile economy. The Afghan people continue their epic suffering, with another record-high period in civilian casualties, attested by the Secretary General's report (S/20l8/824). As Human Rights Watch put it, "civilians are losing the war in Afghanistan". The recent upsurge in violence has compounded the prolonged suffering of the Afghan people. We strongly condemn all terrorist attacks in Afghanistan. There can be no justification for the indiscriminate killing of innocent children, women and men.”
2018-09-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8354 (2018) · source
“We believe that we are all stakeholders in this endeavour and have a shared responsibility. Responsiveness to the realities on the ground and feedback from TCCs, as well as meaningful triangular cooperation, is the key to developing synergies vital to the success of peacekeeping operations.”
2018-09-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8349 (2018) · source
“Fifthly, the application of the Peacekeeping Capability Readiness System must extend to routine deployments rather than being limited to emergent deployments alone. If trained peacekeepers are in readiness, there should not be any hesitation in using them. And sixthly, national caveats hinder performance. They provide one TCC leverage to refuse to perform in a given situation while expecting another that does not hide behind such caveats to perform in the very same situation. This creates a disproportionate set of both responsibilities and expectations. A level playing field is a prerequisite for a fair assessment of performance. As one of the top performers, Pakistan will never shy away from any discussion on performance or from supporting the establishment of an effective system to enhance it.”
2018-09-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8349 (2018) · source
“Secondly, there is a need for the rationalization and prioritization of mandated tasks. The United Nations Mission in South Sudan, for instance, is burdened with 209 tasks. Thirdly, professionalism in peacekeeping ensures excellence in service delivery. Pre-deployment training, including common and standardized training, is vital for all mission components. We have developed peacekeeping training modules that form part of the curriculums of our mandatory courses. We are willing to share this expertise with other TCCs and with the Secretariat. Fourthly, transparency, especially between the TCCs concerned and the Secretariat, to improve delivery will provide better results than a publicized name-and-shame approach.”
2018-09-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8349 (2018) · source
“As a major troop-contributing country (TCC), with a proud history of professionalism, competence and honour, we welcome the focus on performance. Improved performance would lead to better results and improve the safety and security of peacekeepers, which is of prime importance to my country. Let me make six key observations on performance. They may be useful to consider in setting up the new mechanisms that the Secretariat is developing. First, at the time of creating and updating the mandates of missions, the Security Council must base its decisions on practical analysis by the Secretariat of resource requirements. Mandates must be precise, unambiguous and appropriately resourced. When mandates and capabilities are out of sync, efficiency and effectiveness inevitably suffer.”
2018-09-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8349 (2018) · source
“Peacekeeping, as we would all surely agree, has been the United Nations most successful enterprise. The recent closure of missions in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Cote d'Ivoire is evidence of that success. It is a humbling for us that Pakistani peacekeepers were deployed in three of those missions ,They accomplished their tasks, fulfilled their mandates and, above all, they were able to win hearts and minds. Since the 1960s, my country has contributed over 200,000 troops to 48 missions. Our contribution to peacekeeping has not, however, been without cost - 156 of our bravest made the ultimate sacrifice while serving the cause of peace. Performance has also been the focus of our discussions in the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations this year.”
2018-09-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8349 (2018) · source
“Let me begin by expressing our gratitude to the United States presidency for organizing this important debate. We also appreciate the insights provided by the briefers. Blue Helmets are recognized and respected all over the world. They symbolize the United Nations commitment to regional and international peace, security and stability. They are emblematic of the collective will and endeavour of all Member States to make the world a peaceful and stable one. Enduring conflicts mean lives lost, families broken, people in camps and women and children left to languish in extreme vulnerability. United Nations peacekeeping has saved and protected millions of lives. It helps shattered communities and neighbourhoods rebuild themselves. It replaces strife with harmony and turns despair into hope.”
2018-09-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8349 (2018) · source
“The international community cannot succeed in its efforts to strengthen conflict prevention and promote the peaceful settlement of disputes if the Security Council's own resolutions are held in abeyance by some. Both the Council's credibility as well as the objective of durable peace in my region are at stake. We must not fail those two important tests. The United Nations, in the words of former Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjold, is a venture in progress towards an international community living in peace under the laws ofjustice. That is still a distant objective, but a worthy one. An essential prerequisite towards it is the growing currency of the pacific settlement of disputes. Few ideals are more worthy or important for our future.”
2018-08-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8334 (2018) · source
“Through its various resolutions, the Security Council has provided that "the final disposition of the State of Jammu and Kashmir will be made in accordance with the will of the people expressed through the democratic method of a free and impartial plebiscite conducted under the auspices of the United Nations" (resolution 122 (1957), secondpreambular paragraph). The Security Council also instituted several mechanisms, including the United Nations Commission on India and Pakistan, the deployment of the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan and the appointment of representatives of the United Nations, who consulted the parties and submitted reports on how to resolve the dispute in accordance with provisions of relevant Security Council resolutions. Sadly, those resolutions remain thus far unenforced and unimplemented.”
2018-08-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8334 (2018) · source
“While the Council could refer disputes to the International Court of Justice for an advisory opinion, if not a legal decision or adjudication, it should also utilize its mandatory enforcement authority under Chapter VII of the Charter to refer a dispute to the Court. The determination of the Court would thereafter be binding on the parties, irrespective of whether or not they had accepted the jurisdiction of the Court. While the United Nations has had some success in mediating political settlements, that record - as we all know - is checkered at best. The Jammu and Kashmir dispute remains among the oldest issues on the agenda of the Council. It was also the subject of one of the earliest applications of Chapter VI of the Charter.”
2018-08-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8334 (2018) · source
“While Chapter VII is the ultimate instrument for the implementation of Security Council resolutions, its latent efficacy can be greatly enhanced through a timely and judicious application of Chapter VI. That complementarity between Chapters VI and VII must be clearly upheld. The Security Council should authorize the Secretary-General to make more frequent use of his good offices and other possibilities for mediation and conciliation. We are happy to note that the Secretary- General is working to expand the pool of high-level envoys and senior mediators, with special emphasis on women. As much as the establishment of the Secretary- General's High-level Advisory Board on Mediation is a welcome step in the right direction, so is gender parity in the composition of the Board.”
2018-08-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8334 (2018) · source
“The Secretary-General's call for a surge in diplomacy for peace is both urgent and important, for it costs far more to pick up the pieces after a conflict than it does to prevent one. The Security Council, with its primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security, has a critical role in that prevention-centric agenda. It must operationalize the full repository of measures set out in Chapter VI of the Charter of the United Nations as the centrepiece of the global peace and security architecture. That is all the more relevant given that, in recent years, there has been growing criticism of the Council's tendency to resort to enforcement measures under Chapter VII.”
2018-08-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8334 (2018) · source
“Yet large parts of the world, in desperate need of peace and conciliation, are denuded of this. We in fact live in times that are more uncertain than ever. Tensions and turbulence have re-emerged with greater intensity in various parts of the world. The world seems to be afflicted by greater turmoil and persisting conflicts, instead of living up to the principles of peace and justice of the Charter of the United Nations. In the face of these challenges we need to evolve a comprehensive approach to addressing volatile situations before they erupt; preventing disputes from escalating into conflict and to containing and resolving conflicts when they occur, or indeed when they fester.”
2018-08-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8334 (2018) · source
“My delegation would like to thank the United Kingdom presidency for holding this important debate and it is good to see Lord Ahmad presiding over this debate. I would also like to express my gratitude to the Archbishop of Canterbury and to Ms. Mossarat Qadeem, who is from my country, for their insightful briefings. The notion and instrument of mediation are as old as humankind. Much as wars and conquests have filled the annals of human history, humankind has also sought to find ways to reconcile divergent interests and seek common ground to resolve disputes and conflicts. More recently, our collective faith in the power of dialogue has been reinforced by the successful mediation efforts in Colombia and between Greece and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.”
2018-08-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8334 (2018) · source
“My country will continue to lend its support for negotiated settlements in other regional situations, including Syria and Yemen, based on agreed frameworks and through inclusive political engagement. It will not be easy to restore peace and stability to the Middle East. Beyond the diplomacy and the genuine commitment by all Powers and parties to negotiated solutions, a comprehensive and enlightened policy is needed to address and overcome the underlying political, economic and social causes ofthese conflicts. Such a comprehensive policy and bold diplomacy, especially by those who wield power and influence with the principal parties, is essential if we are to defy the dire predictions of disaster in the Middle East that abound today.”
2018-07-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8316 (2018) · source
“resolution ES-10/20, overwhelmingly adopted by the General Assembly at its emergency special session on 13 June, therefore was a call to action for the Secretary-General to ensure the protection of the Palestinian civilian population. We look forward to the Secretary-General's report outlining concrete and practical steps to alleviate the pain and suffering of the people of Palestine. The Middle East stands at a dangerous crossroads. As existing conflicts have intensified and new threats have emerged, the imperative for diplomatic solutions is more urgent than ever. As Iraq and Lebanon consolidate their democratic gains as a result of recently held parliamentary elections, we commend them for turning a new page in their national quest for inclusive and representative political participation.”
2018-07-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8316 (2018) · source
“We reject any attempts to diminish the legal standing of the Palestinians or to deprive them of their legitimate rights within their homeland. The international community cannot continue to avoid its responsibility to promote a just solution to the problem. The Security Council cannot continue to avoid its obligations under resolution 242 (1967) and at least 80 successor resolutions to enforce a just solution to the conflict, which is at the core of the challenges that confront the Middle East today. The plight ofthe Palestinian people has reverberated across this Chamber for as long as the United Nations has existed, but sadly no end to their suffering seems to be in sight. In recent days, the Security Council's inaction with regard to Palestine has led to a more proactive role by the General Assembly to fill the void.”
2018-07-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8316 (2018) · source
“Addressing the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein spoke at length of the endemic and multi-faceted challenges confronting the daily lives of the Palestinian people. If there ever was a need to lend credibility to those words, the so-called Jewish nation-State law, passed by the Israeli Parliament on 19 July, provides a vivid manifestation of the legally enshrined policy of discrimination by Israel. By ascribing privilege purely on religious grounds, that basic law relegates the indigenous Arab population to second-class citizens. Such racist laws should have no place in today's world. Historical facts cannot be re-written by legislative fiat.”
2018-07-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8316 (2018) · source
“Gaza has been dealt another blow by the Israeli bombardment, thereby resulting in the further loss of precious lives. In the wake of the recent escalation, some have called for all sides to exercise restraint and step back from the brink of renewed conflict. As much as any resort to violence is unacceptable, the Palestinian issue is in essence a struggle between an occupied people and an occupying Power. Obfuscating that incontrovertible reality would be tantamount to drawing a moral equivalence between the acts of the aggressor and the aggrieved. That is not unacceptable. The long-suffering Palestinian people continue to face well-entrenched and systematic violations of their fundamental human rights at the hands of the Israeli occupation.”
2018-07-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8316 (2018) · source
“My delegation thanks the Swedish presidency for convening this open debate and expresses its appreciation for the comprehensive briefing by Special Coordinator for the Middle East Nickolay Mladenov. The tide of turmoil and conflict in the Middle East, far from receding, has continued to rise, with even greater unpredictability. As a consequence, millions of people are having to endure unimaginable suffering, caught up in a vortex of violence driven by the actions of the occupying Power, as well as the divergent interests and priorities of regional and external Powers. The Special Coordinator has presented a deeply troubling assessment of the situation in the region, especially in the occupied Palestinian territories. The facts speak for themselves.”
2018-07-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8316 (2018) · source
“Lastly, I would like to say that 20 years ago, Graca Machel asked the international community to come together and address the plight of children in conflict (see A/51/306), and proposed the appointment of a special representative for children in armed conflict. Pakistan fully supports the appointment and the mandate of the Special Representative of the Secretary- General for Children and Armed Conflict, but we also believe that its mandate should not become a tool for achieving political objectives. The legal parameters of the mandate, as provided for in the relevant Security Council resolutions, must be respected. We hope that principle will be kept in mind in future reports.”
2018-07-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8305 (2018) · source
“The most effective way to protect children is by preventing and resolving conflicts, ending foreign occupation and, of course, by sustaining peace where peace is possible. That must be our top priority and the Council's. My Government remains fully alive to its commitments with regard to protecting children. Pakistan was one of the earliest signatories to the Convention on the Rights of the Child and its two Optional Protocols, and we have established a national commission for child welfare and development that coordinates, monitors and facilitates its implementation. Last year, we also established a national commission on the rights of children.”
2018-07-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8305 (2018) · source
“Under foreign occupation they are subjected to arbitrary arrests, detention and torture - and mass blinding, too, as the use of pellet guns by occupation forces in occupied Jammu and Kashmir testifies. According to the recent report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on the situation of human rights in Kashmir, there were "multiple cases of children under 18 years" being arbitrarily detained and tortured under the cover of a black law, the so-called Public Security Act. The plight of children in Palestine, Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Myanmar and Yemen should galvanize the international community to find new and effective ways to protect those most vulnerable. The goal of protecting children can best be achieved by preventing the outbreak of armed conflict in the first place.”
2018-07-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8305 (2018) · source
“This disturbing trend shows no sign of abating. Last year, we witnessed a significant increase in the incidence of abuse of children, making 2017 another nightmare year for children trapped in conflict and violence. Despite some progress, the scale and the intensity of today's conflict is stretching our capacity to protect these children. In conflict zones and occupied territories, we are witnessing a deeply troubling breakdown in humanity and diminishing respect for human life and dignity. Children are often at the heart of conflict and are in consequence directly targeted. Their homes and schools are destroyed and food and water supplies deliberately cut off.”
2018-07-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8305 (2018) · source
“I too would like to begin by thank the Swedish presidency for convening today's debate and the Prime Minister of Sweden for presiding over it earlier. We also thank the briefers for their insightful coverage of this important issue. The dreams and hopes of hundreds of thousands of children continue to be shattered by conflict. Then there are also those who may never even get a chance to dream. Children become victims of unimaginable horror everyday. The Secretary-General's report (S/2018/465) confirms these horrors. Children are killed and maimed, abducted to fight, sexually abused and denied humanitarian aid. All parties to armed conflict have the responsibility to protect children from violence. And yet, all too often, violations and abuses of international law affecting children remain rampant.”
2018-07-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8305 (2018) · source
“Almost 17 years of the conflict waged by the world's most powerful military forces have not yielded a military solution. The path to peace in Afghanistan will be arduous, but it is achievable. As a first step, all the parties concerned must commit to a negotiated solution to the conflict, which offers the best chance to end the suffering of the Afghan people and restore peace to Afghanistan and stability to the region. We hope that the search for peace through a dialogue process will be the highest priority for the Afghan Government, the Taliban, the coalition forces, Afghanistan's neighbours and the international community.”
2018-06-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8294 (2018) · source
“That can be achieved only through constant vigilance, effective management and real-time communications. Terrorists should not be allowed to provoke clashes between our border security forces. Earlier this year, the ulema - our religious leaders in Pakistan - issued a religious edict, or fatwa, entitled "Message of peace from Pakistan", which unequivocally denounced terrorism and suicide bombings throughout the world. Religious leaders from my country also participated in the ulema conference that was held this past month in Indonesia, and we will participate in ulema conference of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation this coming month. In conclusion, let me say that the international community has long been unanimous in its view that sustainable peace is achievable only through a negotiated end to this long-running war.”
2018-06-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8294 (2018) · source
“Its five working groups on political, economic, refugee, military and intelligence issues envision a abroad and sustained dialogue between our two nations. To strengthen defence cooperation, Pakistan has offered support, including to equip Afghan National Defence and Security Forces, gratis training in Pakistan, as well as financing and supporting the construction of the border management infrastructure. For my country border management remains the highest priority, we are working with the Afghan Government on modalities to deploy military liaison officers on either side to coordinate counter-terrorism efforts and complement action against terrorist outfits on our side of the border. We must secure our border to prevent the cross-border movement of militants and terrorists.”
2018-06-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8294 (2018) · source
“Pakistan's security is inextricably linked to peace and stability in Afghanistan. Pakistan has a vital interest in a peaceful, stable, united and prosperous Afghanistan. We stand ready to support Afghanistan in addressing the multiple challenges it faces, and in that spirit, Pakistan is engaged with the Afghan Government in a comprehensive manner in all political, economic and military spheres. A series of high-level visits by both our political and military leadership have taken place in recent months. Those exchanges have helped to create an environment of trust and inject a positive impetus in our bilateral relations. The recently concluded Afghanistan-Pakistan Action Plan for Peace and Solidarity will provide a structured platform for engagement between our two countries.”
2018-06-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8294 (2018) · source
“A negotiated peace and national reconciliation are all the more vital to preventing the threat posed to Afghanistan, its neighbours and the global community by the presence of Da'esh and a conglomerate of terrorists, including the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, the Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement, the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan and other groups that have adopted the umbrella of Da'esh. They need to be defeated decisively and urgently. We must not allow those groups to drive Afghanistan into another vortex of violence and instability, which would compound the threat to the region's stability. Pakistan has extended all assistance at the political level, as well as through our robust counter-terrorism operations, to help promote peace and stability in Afghanistan.”
2018-06-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8294 (2018) · source
“My country's participation in all regional and international forums on peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan, including the Moscow format, is a reflection of our commitment and unflinching support for the peace process that brings all the parties together to work for a political settlement. Pakistan can support any agreed format for negotiations that enables all directly engaged parties to talk to each other. We feel that the Quadrilateral Coordination Group, consisting of Pakistan, Afghanistan, China and the United States, remains a useful format to pursue a negotiated settlement. A Quadrilateral Coordination Group+ format can also be considered that brings all of Afghanistan's neighbours into the process.”
2018-06-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8294 (2018) · source