The third committee of General Assembly which deals with range of social, humanitarian affairs and human rights issues that affect people all over the world has adopted a resolution on universal realization of the right of peoples to self-determination by consensus. The resolution was proposed and tabled by Pakistan whereas 71 countries co-sponsored the resolution, says a press release received here today from New York.
Statement by Ambassador Munir Akram, Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the United Nations, before Action on Resolution entitled: “Universal Realization of the Right of the Peoples to Self-Determination” during 75th Session of the UNGA Third Committee (Agenda Item-71) is below:
On behalf of the Pakistan delegation and the co-sponsors of L.47, I have the privilege to introduce this draft resolution entitled “Universal Realization of the Right of Peoples to Self-Determination”.
The right to self-determination is a cardinal principle of the UN Charter. Article-I, paragraph-2 of the Charter.
Article-II in both the international Conventions on political and economic and social rights also upholds the right of self-determination as a fundamental basis of all human rights and international law.
General Assembly resolution 1514, “the Declaration and the Granting of Independence to Colonial countries and peoples” states in Article-I that the “subjection of peoples to alien subjugation, domination and exploitation constitutes a denial of fundamental human rights, is contrary to the Charter of the United Nations and is an impediment to the promotion of world peace and co-operation”.
The Declaration of Principles of International Law Covering Friendly Relations and Cooperation among States, adopted by this Assembly in 1970, also incorporated the right of self-determination and crystallized its status as customary international law.
Resolution 1514 states that “all armed action or repressive measures of all kinds directed against dependent peoples shall cease in order to enable them to exercise peacefully and freely their right to complete independence…”
General Assembly Resolution 2649 in operative paragraph 1 “affirms the legitimacy of the struggle of peoples under colonial and alien domination and recognizes their right to restore to themselves the right to self-determination by any means at their disposal”; In operative paragraph-2 “recognizes the right of people waging legitimate struggle against colonial and alien domination to seek and receive all kinds of moral and material assistance, in accordance with the resolutions of the United Nations and the spirit of the Charter of the United Nations”.
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Several resolutions of the General Assembly and the Security Council have categorically declared that attempts to unilaterally change the status of an occupied territory – legally or demographically – whose people have yet to exercise their right to self-determination are ipso facto null and void.
There are, however, situations where occupied peoples are being systematically and brutally denied this right and are obliged to struggle for the realization of their right of self-determination.
These illegal actions constitute the gravest violations of the principles and purposes of the UN Charter, fundamental human rights, and international law. They subvert and delay the realization of the right to self-determination.
Often, aggressors and occupiers have attempted to justify their suppression of the legitimate struggles for self-determination and freedom by portraying them as “terrorists”. Those so-called terrorists today often emerge as the freedom fights and leaders of tomorrow.
My delegation is proud to propose and table the resolution on “Universal Realization of the Right of Peoples to Self-Determination” each year in the General Assembly. This draft resolution reflects the global international consensus on the fundamental right of self-determination.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the co-sponsors of the draft resolution. We hope that this year too this committee and the assembly will reaffirm the global commitment to the principle of self-determination by adopting this resolution by consensus.
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