News
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Peace at stake due to Iran conflict
* Pakistan says dialogue and diplomacy should be only instruments to resolve issues
* Resolution of Palestine, Syria conflicts must for peace and stability
Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar said on Tuesday the growing confrontation over Iran’s nuclear programme threatens further instability in the broader region.
“Dialogue and Diplomacy should be the only instruments to resolve outstanding issues,” Khar said at NAM Ministerial Meeting’s Interactive Debate on ‘Lasting Peace through Joint Global Governance’, in Tehran.
She said Pakistan believes that a peaceful resolution of Iran’s issue is still possible on the basis of reciprocal confidence-building measures and security assurances against external threats.
Khar called for dealing the major challenge confronting the world today to achieve international peace and security on the basis of equity and UN Charter principles. “We all know peace and development are mutually reinforcing and without peace we cannot even think of development and prosperity,” she said.
She said the world today is inflicted by many paradoxes, marked by interdependence and inequality; connectivity and chaos; islands of prosperity and oceans of abject poverty; technological prowess and underdevelopment; hegemony and repression, all of which existed side by side and causing all sorts of upheavals and turmoil in the world.
She said in this backdrop the theme of the conference ‘Lasting Peace through Joint Global Governance’ is both relevant and pertinent.
The foreign minister said Pakistan believes that for peace, security and prosperity, a just solution of Palestine issue on the basis of Palestinian people’s right to self-determination is essential.
She also called for an immediate end to the ongoing bloodshed by all sides in Syria in the interest of regional peace and stability.
Khar said in South Asian region, Afghanistan will need support of the NAM fraternity as it moves towards the transition phase in 2014 – and through the transformation decade. She said the founding principles of NAM, including peaceful co-existence, respect for human rights, sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states and non-interference and non-intervention in internal affairs of other countries provide the firm basis for enduring peace, stability and development in the world.
The foreign minister said as a vibrant democracy, Pakistan holds promotion and protection of human rights and democratic ideals very dear to its heart. “It is deeply committed to the nurturing and strengthening of these values,” she added.
She said disarmament and non-proliferation is an important area for the global peace and security.
She believed that the new consensus should be based on equity and objective criteria, rather than selectivity and discrimination. Equal and undiminished security for all states must be the norm to ensure global peace and security.
She stressed for economic and social development of the member countries to build and sustain peaceful, prosperous and harmonious societies.
“Many NAM members have achieved significant and sustained economic growth, yet the challenge of development continues to be formidable for all NAM countries,” she said.
She pointed out that efforts have so far failed to make even modest progress towards introducing equity in international trade, inter alia, through the Doha Round.
The foreign minister stressed that the world needs to generate 600 million jobs to accommodate the young people who would enter the job market over the next 10 years.
She said the NAM can play a role in the enlargement and implementation of the trade and development agenda through measures like reduction of agricultural subsidies in rich countries; elimination of high and escalating tariffs against developing countries; commodity price stabilisation; special and differential treatment, and capacity-building.Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk