Islamabad
Ambassador Munir Akram, Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the United Nations on Monday said that all our peacekeepers are “essential workers” and we trust that the United Nations will ensure that all of them will receive the Covid vaccine quickly and equitably.
He delivered at the General Debate and Opening Plenary Meeting of C-34 and felicitated Tijjani on election as chair of special committee, adding that “your skill and wisdom are well proven, said a press release received here.
“I would also like to thank the President of General Assembly, the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations for their statements and I would like to align my delegation with the statement made by Morocco on behalf of the non-aligned movement” he added.
He said that my delegation commends the United Nations, for maintaining the continuity of UN peacekeeping and preserving the safety of UN peacekeepers, during the devastating COVID 19 crisis.
“The report of the Committee’s last session confirms that UN peacekeeping has emerged as a vital instrument to give life to the Charter’s vision of collective security and to build a bridge from conflict for durable political solutions,” he said.
He said that UN peacekeeping is a success story, adding that Pakistan takes pride in its contributions – having deployed 200,000 peacekeepers in 46 UN Missions.
He further said that the discussions at this meeting is most timely. “Today, the international community is confronting security challenges in several regions – especially in parts of Africa – which are very different from those we addressed in the earlier days of peacekeeping. Along with the changed nature of threats, we also have new capabilities – which can enable the United Nations to enhance the performance of its peacekeepers”, he said.
He said that Pakistan is therefore most interested in exploring what Under- Secretary-General Lacroix has referred to as the A4P Plus Concept.
“Obviously, politics governs everything. The new threats we confront have political causes and ultimately, political solutions. Obviously, the UN peacekeeping is not equipped to assume the responsibility to resolve such conflicts, insurgencies and cross-border attacks” he said. —APP
