|
|
Honourable Mr. Chairman,
Distinguished Secretary General,
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Assalam-o-Alaikum,
At the outset, I would like to thank you, Mr. Chairman, and the Secretary General, for organizing this Annual Coordination Meeting of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers.
I would also like to congratulate Syria on successful hosting of the 36th Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) in Damascus and on assumption of Chairmanship of the OIC Group in New York. I assure you my delegation’s full cooperation in facilitating your work.
Mr. Chairman,
Today is a historic day. Forty years ago on this day, the leaders of Islamic Ummah gathered in Rabat and resolved to strengthen the bond of unity and solidarity among the Muslim people, to respect, safeguard and defend the national sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of all member states. It is, therefore, a moment to celebrate and to reflect on our achievements as well as shortcomings.
Over the years, the OIC has emerged as the second largest Inter-governmental Organization after the United Nations. It has made significant contribution to the UN efforts in maintaining international peace and security, in promoting Islamic causes and in protecting Muslim minorities through out the world.
It gives me great satisfaction that Pakistan has worked shoulder-to-shoulder with our brethren in the conceptualization, building and strengthening of various institutions of the Organization. We have also played our role in the continuing process of reform and restructuring of the Organization including the adoption of its Charter last year to prepare the Organization to face challenges and to benefit from the opportunities offered by a highly competitive world in the 21st century.
Notwithstanding our achievements, we have to go a long way in realizing the full potential of the OIC. Muslim states are endowed with enormous human and natural resources. But in terms of educational achievements and technological advancement, we remain at the bottom. It must change. And change quickly. For this to happen, we need to give top priority to investments in education and human resource development to transform our youthful population into an engine of change and prosperity in the 21st century.
Mr. Chairman,
Terrorism is scourge of our times. Pakistan as a frontline state has paid a heavy price in confronting this menace. More than two thousand soldiers have laid down their lives in the line of duty. And we have lost our most popular and charismatic leader, Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Shaheed, to a terrorist’s bullet. The tragedy has only solidified our resolve to uproot terrorism and extremism from our society and the region at large.
Terrorism does not grow in vacuum. It nourishes on ignorance, deprivation, injustice and helplessness. Lingering political disputes resulting from historical injustices, add fuel to fire. We must address the root causes which are creating this monster. We also need to ensure social justice, quality education and provision of economic opportunities to our young people to give them hope for a better future.
Mr. Chairman,
The global challenges require global responses. The United Nations is best suited to meet these challenges. The UN needs to be reformed and strengthened to fulfill its mandate and cope with new and emerging challenges. The international economic architecture also needs to be reformed to meet the challenges posed by a globalized, interdependent and interconnected world. The UN Security Council reform is a matter of significant concern to all member states. Pakistan supports comprehensive reform of the Security Council to make it more representative, democratic, effective, transparent and accountable to the UN membership. We, however, must guard against creating more centers of privileges under the garb of reform.
The OIC has a legitimate demand for representation on the Council to defend and promote interest of Muslim States. The proposal submitted by UfC in the Inter-governmental negotiations would ensure adequate representation of OIC on the Security Council.
The Palestinian tragedy is festering extreme discontent in the Muslim world. There must be an early end to the sufferings of the Palestinian people. Their legitimate aspirations for dignity, self-determination and a sovereign State of Palestine with Al Quds al Shariff as its capital must be honoured.
Mr. Chairman,
Pakistan remains committed to a just and peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the UN Security Council Resolutions which sanctify Kashmiri people’s right to self-determination. We are extremely concerned on the continued human rights violations and mass arrests in Indian Occupied Kashmir. We look forward for an early resumption of a meaningful and uninterruptable dialogue between Pakistan and India to resolve all outstanding disputes including the Kashmir issue dividing our two countries.
We are thankful to the OIC for its consistent support to the Kashmiri people’s just struggle for their right to self-determination. We are confident that the Muslim Ummah would continue to support the Kashmiri brethren for a just and durable solution of the Kashmir dispute.
Mr. Chairman,
It has become fashionable to stereotype Islam and Muslims as Islamo-fascists and terrorists. This negative campaign has inflicted heavy emotional and psychological cost on millions of Muslims. The defamation of Islam and its sacred personalities under the guise of freedom of expression is a new and contemporary form of discrimination, intolerance and xenophobia.
As civilized societies, we must exercise our freedom judiciously and within the parameters of international accepted norms. We strongly support the OIC’s efforts aimed at exploring the possibility of evolving a binding international framework to prevent the defamation of all religions and sacred personalities.
Mr. Chairman,
Let me conclude by saying that the OIC has a bright future. As a representative body of 57 Muslim states, it has to play a proactive role in projecting the Muslim causes and in facilitating just and peaceful solution of disputes involving Muslim people and countries. Pakistan would be happy to play its role in making OIC a truly effective and vibrant organization in line with aspiration of 1.5 billion Muslims throughout the world.
Thank you