|
DOCUMENT No.
14
Statement by Ambassador Munir Akram, Permanent
Representative of Pakistan to the United Nations, in the Security Council’s
Open Debate on the Situation between Iraq and Kuwait (March 27, 2003)
Mr. President,
1. War has come again to the Gulf. War is not
only the last option; it is an ugly option.
2. Pakistan deplores the resort to the use of force. This was
a war which Pakistan tried strenuously and sincerely to prevent. This is a war
that was twelve years in the making. It could have been prevented if the
increasingly robust UN inspection regime, installed after the adoption of
resolution 1441, had been allowed more time to secure the effective and
verified elimination of Iraq’s Weapons of Mass Destruction.
3. A large segment of the UN membership has participated in
this debate conducted at the request of the Arab League and the Non-Aligned
Movement. We hope the concerns voiced and the positions articulated here would
help the Council find a united way forward in dealing with the challenges we
confront.
4. We thank the distinguished Secretary-General for his very
thoughtful statement yesterday. His eloquent call for urgent humanitarian
relief for the Iraqi people and for unity within the Council deserves our
utmost attention.
Mr. President,
5. The outbreak of this war was not due to the failure
of the Security Council. The Council did not endorse the war. The Security
Council remains relevant to restoring the peace, containing the conflict,
providing relief and restoring stability and the rule of law.
Mr. President,
6. As Pakistan has said: The time and space for diplomacy never
ends. The mandate of this Council is not only to maintain but also to “restore
international peace and security.” In this situation, the Security Council
cannot give up efforts for the cessation of hostilities.
7. In the midst of conflict, we must continue our collective
efforts to search for ways in which peace can be restored. Obviously, we will
not be able to achieve this by condemnation or recrimination, however
deplorable the use of force. We could do so through exploration of the
possibilities for peace between the warring parties. Surely, no one wishes to
witness the needless loss of the lives of their sons and daughters and
specially of innocent civilians. The search for the “magic ring” must not be
given up.
Mr. President,
8. People must come first. To contain the human consequences of
the conflict is our most urgent task. It is a task which we can fulfill.
Pakistan was the first to call on the Council to address the welfare of the
Iraqi people. We join in mourning for those – specially innocent men, women
and children – who have lost their lives in these early days of the war.
9. The Council must ask for strict respect for international
humanitarian law by the parties to the conflict. The ICRC has warned that
humanitarian law prohibits “direct attacks against civilians” and requires
that “belligerents must take every precaution in military operations to spare
the civilian population.” Humanitarian law also states that “the right to
choose methods of warfare is not unlimited. Weapons having indiscriminate
effect and/or causing unnecessary suffering are forbidden.” Besides protecting
civilians, sparing infrastructure, and preserving the sanctity of the holy
places, the parties to the conflict must treat detainees humanely and provide
maximum protection and assistance to refugees and internally displaced
persons.
Mr. President,
10. As stipulated by the Fourth Geneva Convention, those in
effective control or occupation of any territory are responsible for meeting
the humanitarian needs of its population, and are required to maintain
dialogue and cooperation with international organizations engaged in
humanitarian relief.
11. Due to the application of sanctions for a dozen years, the
Iraqi people are unfortunately dependent to meet their essential needs on the
UN operated Oil-for-Food Programme. This relationship has been disrupted.
Warned of the impending war, the Secretary-General had no choice but to
withdraw UN personnel. Now, once the parameters of the conflict have become
clearer, the UN can begin to resume its role and responsibilities for
humanitarian and food assistance to the Iraqi people. Fortunately, the UN has
the machinery to discharge these responsibilities.
12. Pakistan agrees that appropriate adjustments need to be
made to the Oil-for-Food Programme to enable the Secretary-General to ensure
that shipments of the most urgently required items that have already been
contracted for are the first to be delivered at places where they can be
received and distributed. We believe that for the provision of emergency
relief the first consideration should be humanity rather than legality. The UN
must deal with whoever is in effective control in the areas where aid is to be
distributed. It must use all the existing Iraqi distribution networks for this
purpose.
13. In this context, arrangements should be put in place to
enable all humanitarian agencies and organizations which are prepared to
assist, including humanitarian organizations in several Islamic countries, to
be enabled to provide relief assistance to the Iraqi people. In Pakistan,
official and non-governmental organizations are on stand-by for such
arrangements to bring help to their Iraqi brothers and sisters.
14. While the existence of the Oil-for-Food Programme and the
contracted shipments of 2.5 billion dollars underway may be the best option to
urgently meet the essential needs of the Iraqi people, it is vital to
underline certain principles in this context:
One,
the Security Council must re-affirm the permanent sovereignty of the Iraqi
people over their natural resources. Control over these resources must revert
to them as soon as possible. To this end, the sanctions imposed in the past
must end quickly after the conflict.
Two,
the Iraqi people should not be asked to bear the burden of the extra costs
that will be incurred in making the adjustments in the existing Oil-for-Food
Programmes – by way of accelerating, delaying or diverting shipments. These
extra costs should be met through the normal insurance coverage. If paid by
the Oil-for-Food programme, they should be reimbursed by the contributions
from the international community as soon as possible.
Three,
apart from the humanitarian responsibilities of the parties to the conflict,
the international community must also contribute to meeting the essential
needs of the Iraqi people. The existence of the Oil-for-Food Programme should
not imply that the Iraqi people must pay for the emergency needs created by a
conflict, which is not of their making.
15. The international humanitarian assistance to the Iraqi
people will need to be coherently planned and effectively coordinated. This
can be best done by the United Nations. The Secretary-General may wish to
consider the appointment of an appropriate high official who can serve as the
focal point and coordinator of international relief assistance to Iraq.
Mr. President,
16. The third objective for the Security Council, the United
Nations and the international community is to contain the conflict, to arrest
the spread of instability in the region, and to restore the rule of law in
Iraq and in international relations. The principles involved are clearly
prescribed in our Charter:
respect for the political independence, unity and
territorial integrity of Iraq and its neighbouring states;
The right of the Iraqi people to choose their own
political destiny and form of governance in exercise of their right to
self-determination;
non-intervention and non-interference in their internal
affairs;
permanent sovereignty and control over their natural
resources;
respect for the religious and cultural traditions of
the people of Iraq and sanctity of the Holy places, which are among the most
venerated in the Islamic world;
the right of the Iraqi nation to economic and social
reconstruction.
17. Discussion must commence within the Council and with others
concerned – within and outside the UN – to realize these principles and
objectives.
Mr. President,
18. Finally, to contain the Iraqi conflict, end hostilities,
stabilize the region, and restore the rule of law, it will be essential to
adopt a comprehensive and equitable approach to peace, security and progress
in the region. This war in Iraq is being waged with the declared objective of
security the implementation of Security Council resolutions.
19. As everyone acknowledges, the Middle East conflict must be
resolved on the basis of resolutions 242 and 338 of the Security Council and
the vision of two States – Palestine and Israel – living side by side in
conditions of peace, justice and security. We look forward to concrete
implementation of the positive intentions which have been announced for the
Middle East. Equally, the dispute between Pakistan and India over Jammu &
Kashmir must be resolved through implementation of the UN Security Council
resolutions prescribing the exercise of the right of self-determination by the
people of Jammu & Kashmir. The refusal of India to implement the Security
Council resolutions, to refuse dialogue, to resort to repression of the
Kashmiri people, and to threaten Pakistan with the use of force, should also
be unacceptable to the United Nations and the international community.
Mr. President,
20. The failure to display and implement equity will accentuate
the resentments and suspicions regarding the objectives of the current
conflict. It will heighten the incidence of violence and terrorism; it will
spread instability; it will erode the conduct of international relations on
the basis of the principles of the UN Charter and international law.
Mr. President,
21. Whatever our views about the current conflict, we all
realize that we are living through a defining moment in world history. The
future of our countries and our peoples will depend considerably on the manner
in which we respond to this crisis. Every crisis presents challenges; but it
also opens up opportunities. Our response to this crisis must therefore be
principled but wise, designed to construct a new world order for the 21st
Century based on the principles of the UN Charter and the unrelenting quest of
the human race for global peace, progress and justice.
I thank, you Mr. President.
<http://www.un.int/pakistan/00home00sc108.htm>
|
