Special Political and Decolonization

Statement by Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, Delegate of Pakistan in the General Debate of the Special Political and Decolonization (4th) Committee on the Decolonization Items 11 October 2007

Mr. Chairman,

On behalf of the Pakistan delegation, let me offer you and other members of the Bureau, our congratulations on the assumption of your offices. We are pleased to see you chair this important Committee, and assure you of our full support. I would also like to take this opportunity to express our appreciation to Ambassador Madhu Raman Acharya of Nepal for his skilful handling of the Committee’s work in the last session.

  1. Pakistan supports the contribution of the Special Committee on Decolonization in pursuing the decolonization agenda, particularly acting as the focal point for a comprehensive system wide effort engaging UN bodies and agencies, the peoples of the Territories, the administering powers, the member states and the wider international community. Let me express our appreciation for the Committee’s outgoing Chair H.E. Ambassador Margaret Hughes Ferrari for her statement, and to H.E. Ambassador Basher Ja’afari for his report at the opening session on 8 October. Pakistan supports the recommendations contained in the Report of the Special Committee A/62/23.

Mr. Chairman,

  1. A primary objective of this annual debate is to review the status of implementation of this Assembly’s resolutions and decisions with regard to the unfinished decolonization agenda. Unfortunately, there has not been much progress to report in that regard over the last many years. The Second International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism (2001-2010) is fast approaching its end with not much hope for the full realization of its objectives. Amidst this pessimistic scenario, however, is a positive development that we are witnessing with regard to Tokelau, and it would therefore be appropriate to mention this at the outset. Cooperation and engagement by the Government of New Zealand with regard to Tokelau has rightly been termed exemplary. We hope this would provide motivation for similar commitment by other administering powers for forward movement on other Territories, on a case-by-case basis. As we said last year, and would like to note again, what is important is not the result of the referendum, but the very fact that the people of Tokelau are being enabled to exercise their free choice.
  2. Here we would like to reiterate the responsibility of the administering powers to create conditions in the Territories that would enable their people to exercise freely and without interference their inalienable right to self-determination. As the Chair of the C-24 said in her statement, a truly collaborative effort was required for successful implementation of the decolonization mandate. The UN system has a particular responsibility in not only addressing the special needs of the Territories and increasing substantially the assistance to the Territories by the specialized agencies and international institutions, but also informing fully the people of the Territories of the options available to them with regard to self-determination.
  3. Pakistan welcomes the holding of the Caribbean regional seminar held in Grenada in May 2007, and its important deliberations and recommendations, and the expression of solidarity with the people of the Territories.
  4. We are encouraged by the recent optimism about retrieving the lost consensus, which is so necessary to find a solution to the issue of Western Sahara in the interest of lasting peace and cooperation in the region. Pakistan continues to support efforts for a mutually acceptable, negotiated, peaceful settlement that provides for self-determination of the people of Western Sahara in accordance with the relevant resolutions of the United Nations. Dialogue and negotiations are the best way to find such a solution. We therefore welcome the ongoing negotiations process under the auspices of the United Nations pursuant to Security Council resolution 1754. We hope the parties will stay the course of consensus building and dialogue. Mr. Chairman, you just informed us that consensus has been reached on the draft resolution on this issue. This is indeed good news and we welcome it.

Mr. Chairman,

  1. The fundamental principle driving the struggle against colonial domination and foreign occupation is the right to self-determination. It is a fundamental human right, guaranteed by the Charter, and recognized under the relevant human rights conventions. Our leaders at the 2005 World Summit rededicated to uphold the right to self-determination of peoples, which remain under colonial domination and foreign occupation.
  2. Decolonization and the right to self-determination are objectives of such importance, scope and global relevance, that they cannot be limited to the Non-Self Governing Territories alone. Their application is universal.
  3. The General Assembly has reaffirmed time and again that the existence of colonialism in any form or manifestation is incompatible with the Charter of the United Nations, the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In its historic Declaration contained in Resolution 1514 (XV) of 14 December 1960, the General Assembly declared: “the subjection of people to alien subjugation, domination and exploitation constitutes a denial of fundamental rights, is contrary to the Charter of the United Nations and is an impediment to the promotion of world peace and cooperation”.
  4. Nowhere is this more evident than in the Middle East and in our own region, South Asia. The continued denial of the right of self-determination of the Palestinian people is the core underlying cause of conflict and the primary impediment to comprehensive peace in the Middle East. Pakistan continues to support the just struggle of the Palestinian people for peace and freedom.

Mr. Chairman,

  1. The unresolved Jammu and Kashmir dispute has been at the heart of conflict and tension in South Asia. The legitimate right of self-determination of the people of Jammu and Kashmir is recognized in the resolutions of the UN Security Council. Pakistan is engaged in a peace process with India that has led to significant improvement in bilateral relations. As our Foreign Secretary said in his statement in the General Assembly on 2 October, “the two countries must now seize the opportunity provided by the conducive international and regional environment to address problems especially the Jammu and Kashmir dispute”. We firmly believe that a peaceful settlement responding to the aspirations of the Kashmiri people will usher in a new era of mutual trust and cooperation in South Asia.

Thank you.