As UNSC president, Pakistan looks to up ante on Kashmir issue
NEW DELHI: As the month-long Pakistan presidency of the UNSC nears its business end, Islamabad is gearing up to organise an open debate on unresolved disputes around the world, looking to follow it up with a resolution urging member-states to use mechanisms available to them for pacific settlement of disputes.
While the motive behind convening this signature event under the UN's maintenance of international peace and security agenda is to highlight the Kashmir issue, it's unlikely Pakistan will name J&K for fear of getting the resolution vetoed. UNSC resolutions need nine votes to pass, including concurrence of all five permanent members.
Pakistani deputy PM & foreign minister Ishaq Dar will travel to New York to chair the event on July 22, which will likely be briefed by secretary general
Antonio Guterres
too.
According to the Security Council Report, Pakistan aims to adopt the resolution urging full use of all Chapter VI mechanisms. Article 33 of the Chapter states that the parties to any dispute, the continuance of which is likely to endanger the maintenance of international peace and security, shall seek a solution by, among other things, mediation and arbitration. However, the same Article also says the parties can seek a solution through "other peaceful means of their own choice".
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"Generic resolution which will most likely be conceptual in nature will focus on general principles not specific issues to avoid any objections," says Syed Akbaruddin, former Indian ambassador to the UN. Pakistan also knows that, except China, all other permanent members continue to maintain that Kashmir is a bilateral issue.
While underlining the Council's role in maintaining peace and security, many member-states stress any such attempt can't undermine a State's sovereignty or invoke settlement agreements without the consent of both parties.
The open debate follows closed consultations called by Pakistan on May 5 to discuss India-Pakistan tensions after Pahalgam terrorist attack.
Pakistan will also convene another signature event under its presidency, hoping to strengthen cooperation between the UN and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), a 57-member body that has repeatedly expressed support for Islamabad's Kashmir agenda.
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