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Madam President,
The Pakistan delegation thanks the Foreign Minister of Jordan for chairing this meeting of the Security Council. We also thank the Secretary General for his perceptive statement.
Madam President,
The Middle East is the cradle of human civilization. Today, sadly, it appears to have become the cradle of chaos – riven by conflict and regional rivalry, afflicted by terrorism and extremism and enduring massive human suffering. Unless this chaos – within and across borders- is contained and controlled, it will endanger global peace, security and prosperity.
Each of the several conflicts in the Middle East needs to be addressed simultaneously, if separately, with long term vision rather than short term or partisan perspectives.
The proximate causes of each conflict are different; yet there are some common threads: the failure of governments and governance to meet the legitimate aspirations of the concerned peoples, unresolved issues, the consequences of outside interventions as well as acts of omission by the international community.
Madam President,
In many ways – political, historic, emotional – Palestine, and the plight of its people, remains the root cause of the conflict and chaos that now rages across the Middle East. Sadly, today, the prospect of a just solution to this perennial problem is further away than at any time. The recent pronouncements by Israel have appalled even its closest friends.
Even if words can be retracted, the continued spread of illegal Israeli settlements on Palestinian lands, the blockade of Gaza, the provocations around the Holy Al Aqsa Mosque and the continued imprisonment of Palestinians, pose ever growing obstacles to a two-state solution.
These actions are effectively foreclosing the prospect of an independent, contiguous and viable Palestinian State, on the basis of the pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
The Security Council bears the responsibility to act with vigor and unanimity to enforce its resolutions demanding a just and durable settlement. This Council should adopt a resolution establishing the parameters of the Palestinian State, set a timeline for ending occupation and launch a new peace process to take negotiations forward.
Madam President,
Wittingly or otherwise, the long conflict in and around Iraq has exacerbated ethnic and sectarian fault lines and given new life to Al Qaeda and birth to an even more abhorrent terrorist entity: ISIS or Daesh - which now rampages across Iraq and Syria and is gaining adherents beyond, in Libya and elsewhere.
In the case of Libya and Syria, the road to hell has been paved with good intentions. The tragic outcomes are self-evident. The Arab Spring has turned into a cold and forbidding winter.
In Libya, tribal and regional rivalries have combined with extremist militants, including ISIS affiliates, to generate conditions of chaos. This Council must ensure action by those in a position to contribute to restoring peace and order in Libya.
In Syria, a Hobbesian war of all against all rages, with cruelty and human suffering of a magnitude that calls into question the very humanity of the perpetrators. The situation in the Palestinian refugee camp in Yarmouk defies description. ISIS must be defeated. But for peace and order to be restored, a political solution will need to be negotiated between those willing to make mutual accommodations. The Geneva process, UN mediation, the Russian initiative and all other avenues should be utilized to evolve a political solution to this difficult conflict.
The first priority should be to end the massive human suffering of the Syrian people.
Madam President,
In Yemen, the parameters of international legitimacy are much clearer. A rebel group with the aid of dissident leaders, have occupied large parts of the country and forced out the legitimate government including the country's President. This situation, created by illegal force, cannot be allowed to stand, much less be accepted as the basis for negotiating a settlement of the crisis.
Pakistan has welcomed the adoption of Resolution 2216 and has called for its full and effective implementation. We believe that restoration of President Hadi's government will be an important step towards establishing peace in Yemen. The Council has called on the rebels to cease hostilities and vacate the areas they have occupied. This should be ensured. That said, there is an urgent need for finding a peaceful solution to the crisis through dialogue.
Madam President,
Several of the conflicts that have erupted across the Middle East reflect the exacerbation of fault lines within the concerned Muslim States. The Islamic world must not allow these fissures to tear apart the divinely prescribed unity of the Ummah – the community of all Muslims. Pakistan stands ready to do all it can to promote peace and reconciliation within the world of Islam.
Madam President,
Pakistan's unwavering solidarity with the people of Palestine is manifested by its support over the decades. We urge the Council to act and take the lead on this issue. Resolution of the Arab-Israel conflict will also help resolve the new conflicts that engulf the Middle East. Urgency is essential.
I thank you, Madam President.