YouSaid · the spoken record

Munir Akram

lines on the record: 143
first: 2020-07-02
most recent: 2021-10-15
sittings or episodes: 15
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

“We thank the Permanent Mission of China for holding this important videoconference high-level open debate of the Security Council on the protection of civilians in armed conflict. We also thank the Secretary General, the President of the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator for their insightful briefings. The latest report of the Secretary General (S/2021/423) provides useful insight into the entire range of issues related to the protection of civilians in armed conflict. Despite the Secretary-General’s call for a global ceasefire last year, the state of the protection of civilians in armed conflicts across the globe remains grave.”
2021-05-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/505 (2021) · source
“Pakistan therefore accords the highest priority to the safety and security of United Nations peacekeepers and will host, along with the Netherlands, a ministerial meeting in October on safety, security and protection, in preparation for the Seoul conference.”
2021-05-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/501 (2021) · source
“We look forward to strengthening this engagement and working with Member States and the Secretariat to enlarge and diversify such training, especially for new TCCs, at the Centre for International Peace and Stability in Islamabad. Finally, the United Nations must prioritize political solutions to conflicts, as recommended in resolution 2518 (2020) and the 2017 report authored by former United Nations Force Commander, Lieutenant General Carlos (Retired) Alberto dos Santos Cruz. Sustainable peace requires a comprehensive approach, from conflict prevention and resolution to peacekeeping, peacebuilding and long-term development. Over the last six decades, Pakistan has lost 160 of our bravest in United Nations peacekeeping missions — three of them only last year.”
2021-05-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/501 (2021) · source
“To realize these goals, we must continue to innovate and modernize the public communication capabilities of peacekeeping missions. The deployment of Pakistan’s all-female engagement team in the Democratic Republic of the Congo reflects our commitment to such endeavours. We reiterate our suggestion that the Security Council, when authorizing a peacekeeping mission, allocate a certain percentage of the budget to community support projects and other peacebuilding actions. Fifthly, we should be enhancing training and capacity-building through partnerships. Training improves knowledge, skills and attitudes and builds capacities to manage crises and protect the lives of peacekeepers as well as civilians. Pakistan has hosted several peacekeeping courses for partner countries.”
2021-05-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/501 (2021) · source
“Military units, convoys and long-range patrols should have reliable medical support for first aid and casualty evacuation. Based on most recent assessments, more needs to be done to support troops in improving their emergency medical care practices and in using technology, such as telemedicine, for this purpose. At the strategic level, ensuring coherence and synergy between the policy and operational levels is crucial. This can be achieved through meaningful triangular consultations and effective feedback between the Security Council, the Secretariat and troop-contributing countries (TCCs). Fourthly, reaching out to local communities and leveraging strategic communications can help manage expectations and address disinformation and hate speech.”
2021-05-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/501 (2021) · source
“The remedy lies in a two-pronged approach — devising clear, focused and achievable mandates on the one hand, and allocating adequate budgetary resources and equipment, on the other. The pressing financial situation of United Nations peacekeeping demands that Member States pay their financial obligations in full, on time and without conditions. Delayed payments hamper the deployment of new units, depriving missions of critical capabilities such as aviation support, medical equipment and explosive ordnance disposal. Given the nature of recent attacks on United Nations peacekeepers, mine- protected vehicles have become a vital asset in some peacekeeping missions. Tactical intelligence is another key tool to improve situational awareness and prevent casualties. However, it must conform with the requirements and policies of host countries.”
2021-05-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/501 (2021) · source
“Secondly, a capability-driven approach is needed to shape an effective response to the existing threat environment. Specialized capabilities, such as action to counter improvised explosive devices and mines, combined with critical enablers, including multi-role engineers, aviation and medical units, contribute to personnel security. They should be given priority during the force-generation process. Similarly, the discipline, morale, training and operational experience of peacekeeping contingents could have a significant impact on the security environment. Thirdly, the gaps between mandates and resources must be addressed. Currently, expectations outstrip resources, exposing peacekeepers to undue risks. Similarly, inadequate equipment has a direct bearing on the likelihood of casualties among peacekeepers.”
2021-05-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/501 (2021) · source
“It reflects a progressive approach that seeks to strengthen the legal framework of safety and security. The commitment to prosecute crimes against peacekeepers is a step in the right direction. It affirms Pakistan’s consistent view that safety and security’ should be promoted in a holistic manner giving due consideration to technical as well as legal and political aspects. Keeping in view the focus of today’s meeting, I would like to advance the following recommendations. First, as part of the recently launched Group of Friends on the Safety and Security of United Nations Peacekeepers, Pakistan supports all efforts aimed at elevating the political visibility of safety and security and placing it at the centre of robust peacekeeping.”
2021-05-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/501 (2021) · source
“Taking this opportunity, we would also like to appreciate the Secretariat’s continued efforts to mitigate pandemic-related threats, especially its decision to introduce field-based precautionary measures and facilitate the vaccination process for uniformed personnel. Our peacekeepers are indeed the front-line United Nations workers, and their safety and security should be accorded high priority. This should be part of our comprehensive approach to ensuring equitable global access to COVID-19 vaccines. Accelerating the equitable roll-out of vaccines will advance the peace and development agenda, especially in conflict-affected countries. Pakistan also appreciates the introduction of accountability for peacekeepers as a central theme in Action for Peacekeeping Plus initiative.”
2021-05-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/501 (2021) · source
“I would like the thank you, Mr. President, for convening this open debate. Today’s discussion is extremely important. Conflicts have become more complex. Threats to peacekeepers have escalated. The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has added another layer of threat to peacekeepers as well as to the general population. Our decision to support predeployment and in-theatre immunization of peacekeepers seeks to protect both Blue Helmets and local communities against the COVID-19 pandemic. To demonstrate our commitment, we have already started to administer vaccines to our contingents in the field.”
2021-05-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/501 (2021) · source
“United Nations peacekeepers at the front lines also need adequate protection from the health impacts of the pandemic. Over the last seven decades, as a participant in United Nations peacekeeping operations, Pakistan has been at the forefront of efforts aimed at maintaining peace and security in Africa. In the same vein, we will continue to support all international efforts aimed at helping Africa recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
2021-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/490 (2021) · source
“Furthermore, the pandemic has accentuated the importance of preventive diplomacy, mediation and other means of peaceful resolution of disputes and conflicts in Africa. In this regard, the ongoing partnership between the African Union and the United Nations on issues pertaining to peace and security in Africa needs to be reinforced, with a special emphasis on institutional mechanisms aimed at conflict prevention, early warning and mediation. Efforts must also be undertaken towards the implementation of the Secretary- General′s call for a global ceasefire, in cooperation with regional and subregional organizations. Likewise, our peacekeeping and peacebuilding strategies must also evolve to take into account the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the peace and security milieu in Africa.”
2021-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/490 (2021) · source
“These five points are expansion in debt relief and restructuring; creation of new special drawing rights (SDRs) and redistribution of unutilized SDRs to developing countries; provision of larger concessional lending, including achievement of the 0.7 per cent official-development-assistance target; mobilization of the promised $100 billion in climate finance; halting illicit financial flows from developing countries; and obtaining unconditional return of the assets stolen by corrupt politicians and criminals. Implementation of this action plan in the context of Africa and other parts of the world will help foster recovery from the recession and promote peace and development, including in Africa.”
2021-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/490 (2021) · source
“International support will also be needed to revamp fragile health systems on the continent. Helping the African continent deal with the financial fallout of the pandemic is also a vital component of a post-pandemic recovery strategy. The Prime Minister of Pakistan has proposed a five-point agenda of priority financial measures to help developing countries overcome the impact of the pandemic.”
2021-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/490 (2021) · source
“As the President of the Economic and Social Council, Pakistan convened a Special Ministerial Meeting in April 2021 entitled “A Vaccine for All”, which helped draw attention to the issue of vaccination. The meeting underscored the need for drastically accelerating efforts to ensure equitable access to the vaccine through, inter alia, scaling up vaccine production, supply and distribution; fully finding the COVAX facility; promoting the release of excess stocks of vaccines held by some countries; ending export restrictions that restrict or slow the availability of vaccine; diversifying supply chains; expanding manufacturing capacity globally, especially in low- and middle-income countries; and easing restrictions related to intellectual property rights to allow local vaccine production, especially in Africa.”
2021-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/490 (2021) · source
“Of the total 832 million doses administered globally, 82 per cent have gone to the high- or upper-middle-income countries, while low-income countries have just received just 0.2 per cent. The World Bank estimates that every month of delay in vaccination costs the African continent $13.8 billion in lost gross domestic product. Africa still needs around $12 billion to vaccinate a sufficient number of people to ensure adequate protection from further surges of the COVID-19 virus. Instituting a viable framework for the equitable and affordable distribution of COVID vaccine to Africa should be a central component of the global strategy to contain the pandemic around the world, enabling the continent to recover from the impacts of the pandemic, revive economic growth and realize the Sustainable Development Goals.”
2021-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/490 (2021) · source
“Helping Africa recover from the debilitating impact of the pandemic will not only require international support for a robust vaccination programme that reaches across the continent, including to conflict zones, but also the provision of adequate fiscal space and additional liquidity to recover from the economic reversal. It will also entail renewed efforts to sustain peacekeeping and peacebuilding efforts in the conflict-afflicted countries and regions. Unfortunately, low-income countries, especially in Africa, are lagging well behind in terms of vaccine access, despite the Secretary-General identifying vaccine equity as “the biggest moral test before the global community”.”
2021-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/490 (2021) · source
“According to the World Bank, against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic activity in Africa is likely to decline by 3.3 per cent, resulting in the loss of $115 billion. The economic decline in some vulnerable countries will be much larger. The pandemic is also likely to push an estimated 40 million people on the continent into extreme poverty, which translates into losing nearly five years of hard-won progress against poverty. Given that nearly 50 per cent of the issues pertaining to international peace and security on the Security Council’s agenda pertain to Africa, our failure to help Africa control and subsequently recover from the debilitating health and socioeconomic impacts of the pandemic will lead to further exacerbation of conflicts in the continent.”
2021-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/490 (2021) · source
“The colonial legacy is also reflected in some of the social inequalities and continued economic, trade — and often political and military — dependence on former colonial Powers. These challenges have been exacerbated by an unequal global order that often prioritizes profits over the common good. Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a global health and socioeconomic crisis. It has triggered the worst recession since the Great Depression and disproportionately affected the poorest countries. The pandemic has revealed and exacerbated global inequalities. The pandemic has had a devastating impact on Africa, especially those countries that suffer from existing structural vulnerabilities.”
2021-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/490 (2021) · source
“I would like to express my deep gratitude to the Chinese presidency for convening today’s timely and important open Security Council debate on the important linkages between the root causes of conflict in Africa and the post- pandemic recovery on the continent. The root causes of conflict in Africa are complex and multidimensional and include poverty and underdevelopment, internal struggles for scarce resources, external contests for natural resources, and foreign interventions designed to suppress the rights of peoples to determine their own political and economic destinies. Above all, Africa’s long and painful history of colonization has left behind numerous conflicts and disputes across the continent that continue to affect its peace, stability and progress.”
2021-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/490 (2021) · source
“Above all, the Security Council must promote the full implementation of the relevant resolutions especially for the realization of the two- State solution through the establishment of a viable, independent and contiguous Palestinian State within the pre-1967 borders and with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.”
2021-05-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/480 (2021) · source
“Against the grim backdrop of the deteriorating situation in the region, we urge the Security Council to fulfil its obligations under the Charter of the United Nations, call for an immediate halt to Israel’s use of disproportionate and arbitrary force, offer protections to the Palestinian civilians who are bearing the brunt of the Israeli attacks and ensure Israel’s full compliance with international humanitarian and human rights laws, including the right to life, freedom of worship, movement and peaceful assembly. Israel must be asked to stop all unilateral and illegal steps, including the expansion of settlements and attempts to change the status of Jerusalem. The Council should initiate steps to hold Israel accountable for its war crimes and crimes against humanity.”
2021-05-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/480 (2021) · source
“It enjoys immunity from any accountability for its aggression, which many have judged amount to war crimes, and impunity for flouting the so-called rules-based world order. There is neither a moral nor a military equivalence between Israel and the Palestinians. The Palestinian cause is a legitimate struggle against an occupying Power by an occupied people. It is a just struggle for self-determination and against foreign occupation. The asymmetry of power between an occupied and beleaguered people and one of the most powerful militaries in the region is stark and brutally evident.”
2021-05-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/480 (2021) · source
“It is regrettable that despite the daily loss of lives due to Israel’s aggressive actions, the Security Council has failed to demand that Israel halt its indiscriminate and disproportionate use of force against the defenceless and beleaguered Palestinian people in Jerusalem, the occupied West Bank and the besieged Gaza. It is regrettable that such actions by the Council have been prevented by those who proclaim their strong adherence to the principles of human rights and the international rule of law. In the ongoing Israeli onslaught against the Palestinians, the violations of human rights and international legality could not be more blatant and egregious, yet Israel continues to enjoy immunity from the sanctions often used against others.”
2021-05-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/480 (2021) · source
“The Council called on Israel to rescind such measures and to refrain from such actions in future. It recognized “that any act of destruction or profanation of the Holy Places, religious buildings and sites in Jerusalem or any encouragement of, or connivance at, any such act may seriously endanger international peace and security”. General Assembly resolution 2253 (ES-V) also declared Israeli measures to change the status of Jerusalem as invalid. Security Council resolution 478 (1980) and others on the status of Jerusalem subsequently reaffirmed that position. Israel’s ongoing attacks against Palestinians also violate Security Council resolutions, including resolution 259 (1968), relating to the protection of civilians in the occupied Palestinian territories.”
2021-05-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/480 (2021) · source
“Resolution 242 (1967) declared the “inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by war” and demanded that Israel withdraw its armed forces from territories occupied in the 1967 war. Numerous Security Council resolutions, including resolution 2334 (2016), have declared that the “establishment by Israel of settlements in Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem, has no legal validity and constitutes a flagrant violation under international law and a major obstacle to the achievement of a two-State solution and a just, lasting and comprehensive peace”. Likewise, Security Council resolutions 252 (1968), 267 (1969) and 271 (1969) censured Israel in the strongest terms for its illegal and unilateral measures taken to change the status of city of Jerusalem.”
2021-05-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/480 (2021) · source
“We also strongly condemn: Israel’s deliberate and systematic assault against Palestinian worshippers at Al-Haram Al-Sharif, including at the Al-Aqsa Mosque during the holy month of Ramadan; its violation of the sanctity of those holy sites; its continued policy of expansion of its illegal settlements; its forced evictions of Palestinians and demolition of their homes; and its targeting of journalists and international media outlets in the occupied Palestinian territories. Those actions perpetrated by Israel are unacceptable and in contravention of the norms of international law. They violate Security Council and General Assembly resolutions and have grave implications for the maintenance of peace and security in the region and beyond.”
2021-05-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/480 (2021) · source
“Pakistan welcomes this open meeting of the Security Council to discuss the extremely grave situation in the occupied Palestinian territory and Jerusalem. It is regrettable that the Council has been unable even to hold this meeting and take action to halt the Israeli aggression for so long. Pakistan condemns Israel’s use of indiscriminate and disproportionate force, including aerial bombings, resulting in the deaths of nearly 200 Palestinians, including dozens of women and children, as well as destruction of civilian infrastructure.”
2021-05-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/480 (2021) · source
“We hope that the Security Council will prepare a compilation of its cooperation and interactions with regional, cross-regional and subregional organizations in order to chart best practices and lessons learned, which could be applied to lower tensions and introduce confidence-building, mediation and other such measures, which could be applied more widely to prevent conflicts and maintain peace and security in various parts of the world.”
2021-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/394 (2021) · source
“Under such circumstances, the Security Council must discharge its primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security by resolving such conflicts. Pakistan has been fully facilitating the Afghan peace and reconciliation process, including by supporting regional and international initiatives in this regard. We are also an active member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia, which champion dialogue and mediation. Pakistan has consistently proposed and promoted regional disarmament and conventional arms control, and confidence-building measures at the regional level.”
2021-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/394 (2021) · source
“Indeed, General Assembly resolution 75/16, adopted on 30 November 2020, requests the United Nations and the OIC to continue to cooperate in their common search for solutions to global problems, such as questions relating to international peace and security, disarmament and self-determination, among others. The success of regional, cross-regional and subregional mechanisms in the context of conflict prevention, mediation and confidence-building has, however, varied from one region to another. Regional and subregional organizations in certain parts of the world have been either ineffective or unable to play any meaningful role towards resolving long-lasting and festering disputes as well as situations of foreign occupation.”
2021-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/394 (2021) · source
“During the Cold War, the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe, the predecessor organization of the OSCE, played an important role in providing a forum for dialogue and confidence building, especially in the areas of disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control. In the light of the broad membership as well as importance of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), there is a need to further strengthen the cooperation between the United Nations and the OIC in promoting peace and security and the resolution of conflicts in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and relevant Security Council resolutions.”
2021-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/394 (2021) · source
“Indeed, the United Nations-AU institutional mechanisms for discussing issues pertaining to conflict prevention, early warning and mediation, including joint consultative meetings between members of the Security Council and the AU Peace and Security Council, can serve as a template for other regional, cross-regional and subregional organizations.The Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) is another such example, which continues to support United Nations efforts aimed at conflict prevention, confidence-building measures, mediation, crisis management and post- conflict stabilization.”
2021-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/394 (2021) · source
“In the Great Lakes region, the United Nations, the African Union, the International Conference of the Great Lakes Region and the Southern African Development Community continue to collaborate as the guarantors of the implementation of the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework for the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Region. Several Security Council resolutions further reinforce this partnership, especially in the areas of dialogue and mediation. Resolution 2457 (2019), for instance, recognizes the valuable contribution of the AU’s mediation capacities and encourages greater cooperation and collaboration with the Secretary-General’s High- Level Advisory Board on Mediation in the prevention and resolution of conflicts in Africa, including though possible fielding of joint mediation teams.”
2021-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/394 (2021) · source
“At the same time, cooperation between the United Nations and regional organizations requires a dynamic strategy to address deficits in requisite capacities as well as predictable and sustainable funding. It also often requires close dialogue with the Security Council and United Nations entities for harmonization and synergy among their contributions. One of the best examples of cooperation between United Nations and regional organizations is the growing partnership between the African Union (AU) and the United Nations on issues pertaining to peace and security in Africa. That partnership continues to play a vital role in addressing conflict situations across the African continent, and has contributed positively to peace processes and mediation efforts in situations, such as those in the Central African Republic and South Sudan.”
2021-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/394 (2021) · source
“While the primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security remains with the Security Council, under the framework of the Chapter VIII of the Charter, regional and subregional organizations continue to complement and supplement the Council’s role. Regional and some cross-regional organizations have unique perspectives and a deeper understanding of local conflicts, political realities and cultural norms, often giving them a comparative advantage in preventing and resolving conflicts. In many cases, they enjoy the trust of and hold influence with the parties concerned in a dispute, thereby helping in mediation and confidence-building measures.”
2021-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/394 (2021) · source
“I would like to thank Viet Nam for convening this open debate of the Security Council. Today’s deliberations regarding the role of confidence-building and dialogue in conflict prevention and resolution will certainly add to the repertoire of available tools and good practices under Chapter VIII of the Charter of the United Nations, which envisages a strong working relationship between the Security Council and regional mechanisms for the maintenance of peace and security. Over the past seven decades, the role of the regional, cross-regional and subregional organizations in conflict prevention and early warning, dialogue and mediation, as well as peacemaking and peacebuilding, has increased progressively.”
2021-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/394 (2021) · source
“Pakistan will welcome and support the consensus between Afghan leaders and the Taliban on any inclusive political settlement in Afghanistan. It is the Afghans who must be the masters of their destiny and decide their own future, without outside influence or interference.”
2021-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/291 (2021) · source
“The continuation of violence will strengthen the hands of spoilers, both within and outside Afghanistan, to subvert the peace negotiations and prevent a comprehensive political settlement in Afghanistan. We must guard against those who desire to frustrate a peaceful settlement on the pretext of safeguarding democracy and human rights and to continue to use Afghan territory against its neighbours. We hope that despite the multiple challenges facing them and possible periodic setbacks, all Afghan parties will persevere in the pursuit of a political settlement. We welcome the recent efforts to re-energize the peace process. We should assure ourselves that such efforts complement, not subvert, the peace process. Bringing spoilers to the table will retard the prospects of an early settlement.”
2021-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/291 (2021) · source
“We share the determination of the international community not to allow Afghanistan’s territory to be used by Al-Qaida, the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant or other international terrorist groups and their affiliates to threaten or attack any country. Some who have waxed eloquent about terrorism today are the very ones who wish to continue to foment terrorism from Afghanistan’s ungoverned spaces to conduct their war of terrorism against my country. It is regrettable that the Council has been prevented from considering the evidence of their sponsorship of terrorism. A reduction in violence is a natural expectation from the peace process. All sides should work towards a reduction of violence leading to a ceasefire.”
2021-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/291 (2021) · source
“We facilitated the commencement and the conclusion of the United States-Taliban peace agreement and the subsequent intra-Afghan negotiations. The Doha peace process has made important progress in the last year. We are glad that the relevant Afghan parties, including the Afghan Government and Taliban representatives, are fully engaged in this peace process. It is time for the Afghan leaders to seize this historic opportunity and continue to work constructively to secure an inclusive, broad-based and comprehensive political settlement. A peaceful and stable Afghanistan is indispensable to peace and stability in the region and beyond. Terrorism has had a devastating impact on Afghanistan and its neighbouring countries.”
2021-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/291 (2021) · source
“We thank Special Representative of the Secretary-General Deborah Lyons for her briefing today. Pakistan and Afghanistan are linked by the unbreakable bonds of geography, history, culture, ethnicity and faith. Our destinies are intertwined. Afghanistan has endured endless conflict and suffering for the past 40 years. We have shared its trials and tribulations and hope to share its joy when peace returns to the country. Pakistan has consistently maintained that the conflict in Afghanistan can be ended not by military force but through a political settlement involving the full spectrum of Afghanistan’s political landscape. Towards that end, Pakistan has contributed actively to advancing the Afghan peace process.”
2021-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/291 (2021) · source
“We must address not only the symptoms but also their underlying causes. Pakistan hopes that today’s debate will help generate momentum for meaningful action to this end.”
2021-03-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/250 (2021) · source
“While discussing the linkages between conflict and food security, we must also take into account the impact of unilateral coercive measures designed to intensify food insecurity, aggravate poverty and endanger livelihoods in the targeted countries. The negative impact of such measures has been repeatedly affirmed in numerous resolutions of the General Assembly and by the Human Rights Council. Both the General Assembly and the Security Council have recognized that people should not be deprived of their means of subsistence, especially food and medicines, even when enforcement action may have been authorized by the Security Council. Overcoming the challenge posed by linkages between conflict and food security requires a comprehensive response and concerted international efforts.”
2021-03-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/250 (2021) · source
“We must address the systemic causes of poverty and hunger, eliminate rural poverty and protect our food systems, which are the main source of livelihoods for nearly 4.5 billion people. The huge agricultural subsidies provided by certain richer economies distort global markets and make it impossible for farmers in developing countries to compete. International agricultural trade must therefore be rationalized. Governments need to be more active in ensuring adequate and fair prices for agricultural and food products and not leave farmers at the mercy of corporations. Moreover, we need to invest in sustainable agriculture infrastructure, apply new technologies to enhance food production and ensure efficient usage of water and land, and rethink our patterns of food consumption and production.”
2021-03-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/250 (2021) · source
“Failure to address this challenge will exacerbate existing global and national inequalities, thereby feeding the vicious cycle of hunger, deprivation, poverty and conflict. The world faces multiple challenges in recovering from the pandemic and achieving the vital first two Sustainable Development Goals: “No Poverty” and “Zero Hunger”. There is lack of financing, shortage of investment, trade distortion, unsustainable production and consumption patterns, the degradation of agricultural lands and forests, an impending water crisis, loss of biodiversity, and polluted rivers and oceans. The world needs a common plan and strategy for global recovery and the survival and prosperity of all humankind.”
2021-03-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/250 (2021) · source
“Pakistan believes that infrastructure development and regional connectivity through Afghanistan can spur economic growth for the entire region. Pakistan and Afghanistan naturally link the Central Asian and Eurasian heartland to the Arabian Sea, which offers immense opportunities for regional connectivity through mutual cooperation. Such projects will benefit the Afghan people by generating economic activity and helping lift millions of Afghans and other people in the region out of poverty and isolation. Conflict-induced food insecurity has assumed even greater significance in the wake of the coronavirus disease pandemic, which will push around 100 million people into extreme poverty and add 83 to 132 million to the total number of undernourished people around the world.”
2021-03-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/250 (2021) · source
“The Prime Minister of Pakistan, Mr. Imran Khan, has consistently maintained that the conflict in Afghanistan can be ended, not by military force, but through a political settlement that engages the full spectrum of Afghanis across the country’s political landscape. We believe that sustainable peace in Afghanistan can be achieved only through an Afghan-led and Afghan- owned peace process. We have therefore fully facilitated the Afghan peace and reconciliation process.Pakistan is Afghanistan’s largest trading partner and continues to help provide support in the areas of agriculture, health, education and infrastructure development. Pakistan has committed $1 billion to development in Afghanistan, of which nearly $500 million has already been used for infrastructure and capacity-building projects.”
2021-03-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/250 (2021) · source
“Such deliberate actions to coerce the civilian population into submission constitute violations of resolution 2417 (2018), which, inter alia, calls for protecting civilian objects, including sources of food production and distribution, and condemns actions that deprive civilian populations of all essentials indispensable for their survival. Those measures run counter to General Assembly resolution 3201 (S-VI) of 1 May 1974, which, among other things, guarantees for peoples living under foreign occupation effective control over their natural resources and economic activities. Pakistan supports the resolution of ongoing conflicts through dialogue and diplomacy on the basis of United Nations resolutions and international agreements. A peaceful and stable Afghanistan is indispensable for peace and stability in our region and beyond.”
2021-03-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/250 (2021) · source
“The agriculture sector, which is a mainstay for the majority of Kashmiris, has been systematically crippled. The complete communications blackout, the imposition of shoot-at-sight curfews and the severing of all transport links, which have been imposed for nearly 600 days now, has prevented Kashmiri farmers from reaching their farmlands, which has triggered acute food shortages. Thousands of acres of farmland remained untended. Kashmiris have watched helplessly as the produce in their apple orchards has rotted away. Farm products, constituting the entire year’s worth of income for most Kashmiri farmers, have perished without reaching markets.”
2021-03-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/250 (2021) · source