Pakistan, 2000

Mr. President, it gives me

great pleasure to join preceding speakers in offering

you the Pakistan delegation's warm felicitations on

your election. We pledge to you our wholehearted

cooperation in your efforts dedicated to the success of

this historic fifty-fifth session of the General

Assembly.

I also take this opportunity to pay tribute to the

leadership of the Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan.

His commitment and dynamism have reinforced the

rightful role of the United Nations in addressing the

challenges of our times.

The millennial transition is unique in the lives of

those fortunate to witness it. We are fortunate, too, that

we start this session in the glow of the Millennium

Summit. We shall be inspired in our work by the

ringing commitment of our leaders to values and

principles fundamental to the maintenance of peace and

security; by the resolve of our leaders to free peoples

from the scourge of war, on the one hand, and to free

humanity from dehumanizing poverty, on the other.

Their determination to protect the environment,

promote human rights, democracy and good

governance, and to meet the special needs of Africa,

will be our guide and mandate in our deliberations.

It will be our duty at this and future sessions of

the General Assembly, to translate the Millennium

13

Declaration into action. This is no doubt a difficult

challenge. But it is a challenge we must meet. Only

thus can we contribute to the building of a future better

than the past.

To all these ends — at once necessary as well as

noble — our leaders pledged to spare no efforts to

make the United Nations a more effective instrument of

international cooperation.

What is needed, if I may borrow an apt phrase

from the Secretary General's report, is a stronger

commitment to action — action to achieve peace, and

action to achieve development.

Each of our States can and must take action on

both fronts. But individual efforts cannot achieve

optimum results. All of us need to work with

dedication and a strong sense of commitment in a

cooperative and harmonious environment to promote

the twin objectives for a better future.

The Millennium Declaration emphasizes the

determination of world leaders to save peoples from

the scourge of war. Also the Secretary General's report

highlights peace and security as:

“a central objective of the United Nations at the

dawn of the twenty-first century, as it was when

the Organization was founded over half a century

ago”. (A/55/1, para. 29)

The problem is how to prevent war and achieve

peace. The solution is not difficult to find. What is

needed is a stronger commitment to action. Given that

commitment, crises and conflicts can be prevented and

peace can be achieved. Peace not merely possible; it is

realizable through a civilized approach to conflict

resolution based on justice and international law and

the principles of the Charter, the United Nations can

ensure effective remedial action to maintain peace and

security.

People watched with relief as the world

community joined together to prevent genocide in

Bosnia and Kosovo. With the commendable

cooperation of the Government of Indonesia and the

imaginative contribution of the Secretary-General, we

approached the situation in East Timor in a similar

way. The imaginative and diligent efforts of the

Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General, Ambassador

Jamsheed Marker, to promote the settlement in East

Timor are a matter of pride for the people of Pakistan.

These are all examples of how the United Nations and

the international community can and should act to

address conflicts by implementing its principles and

decisions.

In the Middle East, too, the peace process has

made steady, if agonizingly slow, progress. For the

gains so far made, tribute is due to the idealistic efforts

of the peacemakers and the realistic approach of the

Palestinian and Israeli leaders. The residual issues are

difficult and delicate, involving as they do principles of

law and equity on the one hand, and deep emotions on

the other. Yet we ardently hope that the peace process

will succeed soon. Final settlement of the Palestinian

question will be a crowning achievement and a

momentous contribution to peace in the Middle East.

Security Council resolutions 242 (1967), 338

(1973) and 425 (1977) are imbued with an

irreplaceable international sanctity. Their

implementation involves the prestige and credibility of

the United Nations. An end to occupation and the

reversion of holy Jerusalem to Palestinian sovereignty

will ensure reconciliation and durable peace in the

Middle East.

The Kashmir question, involving the life and

future of the people of the State, has been the root

cause of tensions in South Asia since 1947. Its

settlement is an indispensable condition for peace and

stability. The ten million people of that State will not

be denied their right to freedom. They seek nothing

more than the fulfilment of the commitments contained

in the resolutions of the Security Council. Their right

to decide their own future cannot lapse. The passage of

53 years has only compounded the tragedy of the

Kashmiri people and prolonged their travail. The long

delay has only heightened the terrible dangers inherent

in the festering dispute.

According to the All Parties Freedom

Conference, 72,000 Kashmiris have been killed since

1989. Thousands more have been tortured and maimed

or have disappeared. The massive human rights

violations in Kashmir, and the repression and brutality

perpetrated on the Kashmiri people by occupation

forces, are a grave crime of State terrorism.

In a desperate attempt to undermine and suppress

the Kashmiri Freedom Movement, the perpetrators of

repression and violence against the Kashmiri people

have tried to portray the freedom struggle as terrorism.

Such propaganda did not carry credibility in the past

and it cannot do so now. It is familiar to all those who

14

have won freedom after protracted struggles against

colonialism and foreign occupation.

Pakistan has consistently vowed to seek a

peaceful settlement of the Kashmir dispute. Two years

ago, the Security Council once again emphasized the

need to resolve the dispute, which has been the source

of tension and conflict in the region. The provisions of

Article 33 of the Charter place an obligation on

Member States to settle disputes through recourse to

negotiation, inquiry, conciliation, mediation, arbitration

or adjudication. Each and every one of these means is

acceptable to Pakistan. Faced with the intransigent

rejection of peaceful means, the Security Council has a

responsibility to act. The Charter empowers the

Security Council to do so. What is needed is a stronger

commitment to action. In its absence, mere talk of

crisis prevention and dispute resolution will lack

credibility.

Afghanistan remains trapped in a terrible tragedy.

Its protracted war of liberation in the 1980s left it

devastated. The internecine war in the 1990s has

inflicted further ravages. The economy of the country

is in shambles. Drought in southern Afghanistan this

past year has added to the misery of the people of this

ancient land.

Tied to the Afghan people by bonds of geography,

history and culture, the people of Pakistan view the

tragedy in Afghanistan with a deep sense of sympathy.

Despite economic stringency, we continue to provide

shelter to 1.5 million Afghan refugees. The interruption

of the food supply from, or via, Pakistan would further

aggravate hardship and trigger a fresh influx. That is

why Pakistan is opposed to sanctions that hurt people.

No people except the Afghan people themselves

have suffered more from the conflict and instability in

Afghanistan than the people of Pakistan. It is natural

therefore that Pakistan should support all efforts for

peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan. We were

encouraged to note a similarity of approaches by the

Foreign Ministers of the six contiguous countries, the

Russian Federation and the United States at the “Six-

plus-Two” group meeting convened on 15 September

by the Secretary-General. Pooling our resources and

influence, we should make more energetic efforts to

persuade the Afghan parties and assist the Secretary-

General of the United Nations in his efforts to promote

a broad-based Government acceptable to the Afghan

political parties and ethnic groups.

We support the Islamic Republic of Iran as it

leads a parallel effort for peace in Afghanistan on

behalf of the Organization of the Islamic Conference

(OIC). We also appreciate the efforts recently

undertaken by Turkmenistan. In our view, all these

efforts complement and reinforce each other.

In his report on the work of the Organization

(A/55/1), the Secretary-General referred to the influx

of war materiel to Afghanistan from outside. Pakistan

urges not only a ceasefire but also a ban on the supply

of military equipment to the Afghan parties and the

establishment of a monitoring mechanism for its

enforcement. We also remain cognizant of the

imperative of respect for sovereignty. The Afghan

people have a history of fierce resistance against

outside interference. Engagement with the Afghan

Government offers better hope for amelioration than

attempts to drive it into a corner and isolate it. The

United Nations has been providing humanitarian relief

in Afghanistan. Programmes aimed at rehabilitation

and reconstruction may help bring the country back

into the international mainstream sooner. That is also

the more compassionate way.

Pakistan, itself a victim of terrorism, condemns

that evil in all its forms and manifestations, whether

committed by individuals, groups or States. Our

Government has ratified nine international conventions

against terrorism and we join all international efforts to

combat this menace.

Pakistan has historically supported all proposals

and agreements aimed at the limitation, progressive

reduction and eventual elimination of weapons of mass

destruction. For over a quarter of a century we made

efforts and initiated proposals to keep our area free of

nuclear weapons. Also, Pakistan has been prepared to

support universal and non-discriminatory measures and

proposals. Pakistan voted in favour of the

Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty in 1996 and

intended to sign it along with all others, especially the

designated States. The process of bringing that Treaty

into force was derailed due to events not of our own

making. Even then, Pakistan was not the first to

conduct tests in 1998. Pakistan will not be the first to

resume them. We still hope the Treaty can be brought

into force. Pakistan will not obstruct the realization of

that aim. Our Government continues efforts to build

domestic consensus in favour of signing the Treaty.

15

Meanwhile, restraint and responsibility remain

the guiding principles of our nuclear policy. Pakistan

will not enter into any nuclear arms race. Our sole aim

is to retain minimum credible deterrence. I wish to

reaffirm in this Assembly that our nuclear capability is

only meant to deter aggression against Pakistan; it

poses no threat to any country.

We support efforts aimed at the prevention of the

vertical or horizontal proliferation of nuclear weapons.

During the past year we have further strengthened

domestic regulations against export of nuclear

equipment or materials. Our power reactors are under

international safeguards.

Pakistan is prepared to cooperate in efforts to

introduce restraints on the development, production

and deployment of ballistic missiles. To be successful,

however, such efforts must be non-discriminatory.

Their aim must be stabilization of the situation.

Any use of nuclear weapons is inconceivable.

However, the Charter obliges Members to refrain from

the threat or the use of any force. The world

community should, therefore, emphasize no-first-use of

force, nuclear or conventional.

At the global level, Pakistan supports calls for the

continued observance of the Anti-Ballistic Missile

Treaty. The militarization of outer space would be a

disservice to hopes for the maintenance of existing

restraint and stability.

Pakistan will participate in negotiations on the

proposed fissile material cut-off treaty and make a

positive contribution to evolving a fair and an equitable

text that all countries can support.

In his address to the Millennium Summit, the

Chief Executive of Pakistan, General Pervez

Musharraf, stated:

“The best assurance for the consolidation of

global peace lies in the economic development

and prosperity of all regions and all peoples.

Economic progress in one region supports and

complements prosperity in the other.” (A/55/PV.4)

Development is not a zero-sum game.

Accordingly, the Millennium Declaration commits

world leaders to

“making the right to development a reality for

everyone” (resolution 55/2, para. 11) and freeing

the entire human race from want.

Globalization raised hopes, as it offered

opportunities for faster economic growth, higher living

standards and accelerated benefits from the flow of

knowledge and technology. But there have been

disappointments. Experience has shown that the

benefits of globalization have been uneven and that the

number of people living in poverty has actually

increased. Technological and information revolutions

have accentuated global inequality, and a new digital

divide has led to the marginalization of a large number

of developing countries.

Global trade regimes benefit the rich, and the

South has become poorer. Competition, standards, a

variety of non-tariff barriers, increasingly complex

trading practices, protectionism in selected sectors such

as agriculture, and restrictions on technology transfers

all militate against the interests of the developing

countries. They find it hard to secure adequate returns

for their products or to attract investment to improve

their competitiveness. As a result, economic disparities

are widening. This belies the promise of free markets

to ensure the well-being of all.

The failure of the World Trade Organization

meeting in Seattle last November and dissenting voices

heard in Washington last April make it clear that the

international economic system needs to be fixed.

Concerted global action is required for sustained

development to benefit and protect weaker economies.

The industrialized countries have a special

responsibility to adopt bold initiatives. Professions of a

desire for the eradication of poverty must first lead to

the establishment of an international economic policy

framework responsive to the needs of the developing

countries.

One important area is the debt issue. In one of the

interactive dialogues the Secretary-General proposed

that the United Nations could mediate between

creditors and debtors to address the debt problem. We

welcome this proposal. Our Chief Executive, speaking

at the same meeting, suggested that developing

indebted countries should be allowed to utilize

resources allocated to debt servicing for the

development of the social sector, especially education

and health care. Substantive debt relief through

innovative approaches will go a long way to help

developing countries ensure global harmony and

regenerate a new economic partnership between the

North and the South.

16

A holistic approach to deal with problems of

development and poverty eradication is necessary.

While we welcome the Secretary-General's initiative to

bridge the digital divide, the emphasis must remain on

addressing mass literacy, capacity-building,

infrastructure and basic health facilities. Similarly,

multilateral trade regimes should be development-

oriented. Environmental concerns about the prudent

use of natural resources must be pursued

simultaneously with emphasis on sustained economic

growth in the South.

The High-level International Intergovernmental

Event on Financing for Development, which will be

held next year, must involve the world's finance, trade

and development organizations in discussing the issues

comprehensively. The conference should promote good

governance at the international level. It must address

how we can manage globalization appropriately so that

its benefits reach everyone, ensuring universal

prosperity.

The upsurge of democracy in the past decade has

been a good omen for the start of the new millennium.

This salutary trend can only be sustained through

equitable economic development. Unless the

developing nations are able to have a fair share in

rising levels of global prosperity, the advocacy of

democratic values and human and social standards will

remain hollow.

In Pakistan we are addressing the challenges of

both economic revival and institutional reforms that

emphasize accountability, good governance and the

devolution of power to grass-roots levels political

institutions. In this endeavour, the Government is

banking on the support and enthusiasm of our people.

We believe that democracy is, first and foremost,

empowerment of the people, based on strong

institutions.

The world community is well aware of the

ravages inflicted on fragile economies of developing

countries and their poor people as a result of corruption

and the transfer of illegal funds to safe havens abroad.

They are often the worst victims of such malpractice

due to socio-economic forces within and banking

practices outside their countries.

The welfare of humanity in developing countries

demands international cooperation for the prevention

of corruption. Such cooperation was urged in

resolutions 53/176 of 15 December 1998 and 54/205 of

22 December 1999. The South Summit, held in Havana

in April 2000, also requested remedial action.

Transfers of illicit funds from developing

countries will not make the rich countries much richer,

but they will make the poor countries poorer. It is a

paradox that some rich countries have such lax laws

that they provide safe havens and encourage private

banks to launder illicit funds looted by corrupt persons

from poor countries by facilitating the establishment of

secret accounts. That is tantamount to the

encouragement of plunder, indeed, of financial

terrorism.

The nexus between corruption and the failure of

democracy was recognized also in the Final

Declaration issued by the meeting of the Community of

Democracies in Warsaw, held from 25 to 27 June 2000.

It emphasized the need to combat corruption, which

corrodes democracy. We need, therefore, to take

effective action. We propose that the General Assembly

should proclaim a policy of zero tolerance of all types

of corruption and urge a ban on the laundering of illicit

funds.

The United Nations has emerged as the only

forum with the universal recognition and authority to

address the entire spectrum of issues relating to human

aspirations for peace, justice and development. To meet

these growing expectations, this world body must be

strengthened. Its role must be reinforced in order to

ensure a better future for the world.

We support the call for enhancing the capacity of

the United Nations in the areas of conflict prevention

and peacekeeping. In this regard, we commend

Mr. Brahimi and members of the high-level Panel for

their extensive report. As an important participant in

United Nations peace-keeping operations, we in

Pakistan look forward to discussions on the useful

ideas and concepts that have been presented in the

report to enable the United Nations to respond more

effectively to existing and incipient conflicts and

threats to international peace and security.

No other aspect of reform of the United Nations

merits as close attention as the need to make the

Security Council more democratic, transparent and

accountable. Periodic elections of a larger number of

members will make the Security Council not only more

representative but also more responsive to the

aspirations of the world community. That will enhance

the capacity of this vital organ to contribute to the

17

maintenance of international peace and security and to

the realization of the purposes of the Organization.

That objective will not be achieved by the creation of

new centres of privilege which detract from the

cardinal principle of the sovereign equality of States.

For the same reason, the decision-making process

needs to be made more democratic.

For the Security Council to command universal

respect, its reform should have the general agreement

of the membership. Nothing should be done in haste or

in a manner that divides the membership or impairs the

authority and prestige of the Council.

In this increasingly interactive world, we share

with other nations the desire for a peaceful

environment and mutually beneficial cooperation, and

we see a pivotal role for the United Nations. The

universality of the United Nations gives it a stature and

legitimacy that is unprecedented in history. The

Organization should begin the twenty-first century by

demonstrating a clear commitment to addressing and

resolving the key development and security challenges

facing our peoples. It must be enabled to apply its

immutable principles and its decisions consistently and

forcefully to ensure durable peace, sustained economic

progress and a better future for all humanity.