NEW YORK – The United Nations General Assembly on Monday unanimously passeda Pakistan-sponsored resolution reaffirming people’s right toself-determination and calling on countries to immediately cease theirforeign military intervention in and occupation of foreign countries andterritories, as well as acts of repression, discrimination and maltreatment.
The resolution, co-sponsored by a record number of 83 countries, wasrecommended by the 193-member Assembly’s Third Committee, which deals withsocial, humanitarian and cultural issues.
“The resolution reaffirms the inviolability of the right toself-determination for all peoples without exception, including, of course,the people of occupied Jammu and Kashmir and Palestine,” Pakistan’sAmbassador to the UN, Dr Maleeha Lodhi, who is currently in Islamabad, saidin a phone interview with APP.
Under the terms of the text, the General Assembly reaffirmed the universalrealisation of the rights of all peoples, including those under colonial,foreign and alien domination, to self-determination as a fundamentalcondition for the effective guarantee and observance of human rights.
“Pakistan has historically been a proud champion of self-determination,”Ambassador Lodhi said.
“Our support for the right of people to self-determination against aliendomination and foreign occupation remains undiminished.”
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The resolution declared the General Assembly’s firm opposition to acts offoreign military intervention, aggression and occupation, since these haveresulted in suppression of the right of people to self-determination andother human rights in certain parts of the world.
The Assembly deplored the plight of millions of refugees and displacedpersons who have been uprooted as a result of these acts and reaffirmedtheir right to return to their homes voluntarily with safety and honour.
It also requested the Human Rights Council to give special attention to theviolation of human rights, especially the right to self-determination,resulting from foreign military intervention, aggression or occupation.
It also requested the Secretary-General to report to the next Session ofthe General Assembly on this question.
