NEW YORK: Senior diplomats and academics from a range of countries urged for advancing the idea of the right of self-determination to settle critical global crises, including Kashmir and Palestine. They expressed these remarks at a well-attended session held at UN Headquarters in New York on Tuesday. The event, which coincided with Kashmir Solidarity Day, was organized by Pakistan and focused on “Challenges to the realization of the Right to Self-Determination in the Contemporary Global Context.”
The meeting was chaired by Pakistan’s UN Ambassador Munir Akram and featured the following panelists: Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai, Chairman of the World Forum for Peace and Justice; Ambassador Maged Abdelaziz, permanent observer of the Arab League at the UN; and Fionnuala NiAolain, professor at the University of Minnesota and former UN rights expert.
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Following the presentations from various panelists, ambassadors, and representatives of Algeria, Turkey, Morocco, India, Syria, and Iran engaged in a general discussion, raising concerns on various issues pertinent to their nations. Ambassador Akram began by emphasizing the longstanding conflicts in Kashmir and Palestine, cautioning that these unresolved issues pose significant threats to international peace and security.
He underscored the principle of self-determination as fundamental to the modern international system and highlighted instances where this right continues to be denied, notably in Palestine and Jammu and Kashmir.
Regarding Palestine, Ambassador Akram lamented the ongoing loss of life and the failure to secure a ceasefire despite international efforts and support.
“I would like to call attention to the fact that, in at least two situations, the right to self-determination is being blatantly rejected,” he stated. Two places, Palestine and Jammu and Kashmir, have demonstrated over the last four months the effects of depriving the Palestinian people of their right to self-determination: 27,000 people have killed there, the majority of them women and children.”
He criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s rejection of a two-state solution and denounced the significant human rights violations occurring in Gaza.
Turning to Kashmir, the ambassador stressed the need for the international community’s attention, citing rampant human rights abuses and the perpetual threat to peace posed by the India-Pakistan dispute. He warned of the potential for conflict between two nuclear-armed states and commemorated Kashmir Solidarity Day, recalling past atrocities and the intensification of the crisis following unilateral actions by India in 2019.
In response to comments made by the Indian delegate, Ambassador Akram rejected allegations and highlighted the similarities between India and Israel in denying the right of self-determination to Kashmiris and Palestinians, respectively.
Dr. Fai, representing Indian-occupied Kashmir, echoed these sentiments, emphasizing the relevance of UN Security Council resolutions and the UN Secretary-General’s statements on the Kashmir issue.
Overall, the discussion underscored the urgent need for international attention and action to address the protracted conflicts in Kashmir and Palestine, recognizing the importance of upholding the principles of self-determination and international law.
