Pakistan's Position towards UN Reform

General Issues	Disarmament and Non-proliferation
Human Rights Council	System-wide Coherence
Peace-building Commission	Management Reform and Review of Mandates
Security Council Reform	Revitalization of the General Assembly
Terrorism	Responsibility to Protect
Development and ECOSOC Reform	Pacific Settlement of Disputes

UN reform issues In General

Pakistan has played an active and constructive role throughout the UN reform process, including in the negotiations that led to the adoption of the World Summit Outcome in September 2005.
We continue to contribute with the same sense of cooperation and consensus building in the follow up and implementation of the decisions and commitments of the 2005 World Summit.
Implementation of Summit Outcome should be balanced and comprehensive. Linkages between issues should be avoided. All decisions should be adopted by consensus.
We welcome the progress made so far in particular the establishment of the Peace-building Commission and the Human Rights Council and adoption of a resolution on the follow up of development commitments. We expect early progress on the ECOSOC reform. Early decisions can also be reached on the Counter-terrorism strategy, although some difficult political issues remain to be resolved.
Pakistan welcomes the operationalization of the Peace-building Commission. Pakistan looks forward to contributing to the work of the Peace-building Commission with its vast experience in peacekeeping and peace-building especially through its participation in complex missions such as in Sierra Leone, DRC, Burundi and Liberia.
Pakistan supported the decision to establish the Human Rights Council to replace the existing Commission on Human Rights. It is important for the Human Rights Council to operate on the basis of cooperative and problem solving approach. Politicization, double standards and coercive approach that had plagued the Commission and its machinery should not be repeated. Pakistan as an elected member of the new body, is contributing to the work of the Human Rights Council.
Terrorism: Pakistan is in the forefront of the international war against terrorism. We support efforts for the early conclusion, by consensus, of the draft comprehensive convention on international terrorism and comprehensive counter terrorism strategy. Pakistan believes that comprehensive counter terrorism strategy should address the root causes of terrorism, and include measures for international cooperation and building States’ capacity to counter terrorism. In accordance with the Summit’s decision, the strategy cannot exclude acts of terrorism perpetrated by States. It is also important to maintain a distinction between acts of terrorism and freedom struggles.
Security Council reform is of fundamental interest for all member states. Deep differences persist especially regarding the expansion of the Council and the divisive ambition of some states to become permanent members. Pakistan has a longstanding principled position against increase of permanent members. The Uniting for Consensus (UfC) proposal offers the best basis for a solution that can accommodate the interests of all states. This can be achieved through patient and serious negotiations designed to achieve consensus or the broadest possible agreement. The UfC was therefore concerned over the tabling of the draft resolution on Security Council reform by the G-3, which did not enjoy broad support. The UfC proposal is equitable, fair and democratic. It provides for a greater role of the regions in determining their representation on the Council. It has the necessary flexibility to accommodate the interests of all states and groupings in terms of their representation on the Council through rotation and re-election. Pakistan, as a member of the UfC, remains ready for constructive dialogue with all sides to reach broadest possible agreement on Security Council reform.
Development is of fundamental importance for a large majority of the UN membership. We are pleased over the adoption by consensus of the resolution on the follow up of the commitments and decisions made at the 2005 World Summit. We believe that we should build on the resolution to develop a robust Implementation Framework at the United Nations to assess and review the progress made in the implementation of agreed development commitments. Concrete ways and means should be developed to promote full realization of internationally agreed development goals including the MDGs. As President of the ECOSOC in 2005, Pakistan played a leading role on Development and ECOSOC reform proposals.
We are concerned over the slow progress in adoption of a resolution on ECOSOC reform. We believe the ECOSOC should be strengthened and revitalized to effectively carry out its role in the implementation of the agreed goals and commitments. On the basis of the proposal developed by Pakistan and other ECOSOC members, the 2005 Summit has assigned several responsibilities to ECOSOC in promoting policy dialogue, development cooperation, post conflict development, and coordination within the UN system. It is important that these decisions are now implemented.
System-wide Coherence: The Prime Minister of Pakistan, together with the Prime Ministers of Norway and Mozambique, is co-chairing a High Level Panel on System Wide Coherence with the objective of strengthening UN operational system in the areas of development, humanitarian assistance, and the environment. The Panel has held three meetings and is scheduled to formulate its recommendations by September this year. We are hopeful that the Panel will be able to present a concrete plan of action for making the UN system more effective, efficient, coherent, and development oriented.
Management reform: Pakistan is making positive and constructive contribution to the strengthening of the United Nations. Pakistan welcomes the adoption by consensus of resolution on management reform on 7 July. Reform is a continuing process. Our approach in this process is determined by the following principles: Pakistan favours a strong and effective Secretariat but accountable to the general membership. Adequate resources should be provided to the Secretariat to implement all approved mandates. Priority-setting is an intergovernmental exercise and should remain the prerogative of the UN General Assembly. Staffing policies of the Secretariat should be transparent and equitable.
Review of mandates: As a co-chair of the working group on management reforms, Pakistan together with Ireland (which has replaced Canada) is steering the process of reviewing mandates older than five years established by the Organization during the past six decades. Pakistan welcomes the objective report given by the Secretary General to facilitate discussions. Pakistan believes that this exercise should serve to update and strengthen the work programme of the United Nations and should not be treated as a cost-cutting exercise.

Human Rights Council

Abiding by the 2005 Summit decision, Pakistan took active part in the entire phase of negotiations and supported the recent General Assembly decision to establish the Human Rights Council, which replaced UN Commission on Human Rights.
Transformation of the human rights system should lead to elimination of politicization, double standards and coercive approach that had plagued the Commission on Human Rights and its machinery. The Human Rights Council should adopt a cooperative and problem solving approach instead of selectivity and naming and shaming.
The Human Rights Council should promote dialogue, cooperation, capacity building and technical assistance to enable Sates to fulfill their responsibilities towards the implementation of internationally agreed human rights standards with due regard to their historic, cultural and religious values.
The Human Rights Council should also enhance dialogue and broaden understanding among civilizations, cultures and religions in order to promote tolerance, respect for and freedom of religion and belief.
Pakistan as an elected member of the Human Rights Council is actively participating in the work of the Council with a view to facilitate the implementation of its mandate.
Pakistan has consistently played an active role in the relevant human rights forums. Pakistan contributed positively to the adoption of Universal Declaration of Human Rights and formulation of most of the International conventions and universal norms in the promotion of civil and political as well as economic, social and cultural rights including the right to development.
Pakistan is a party to the International Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD), International Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), and is a signatory to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. Pakistan is working towards early ratification of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and Convention Against Torture.

Peace-building Commission

Establishment of the Peace-building Commission, an intergovernmental advisory body to assist countries emerging from conflict, is a major achievement of the 2005 World Summit.
Pakistan attaches great importance to the Peace-building Commission given the fact that the concept of acting together of the three principle organs and of all relevant actors involved in post conflict situations was first tabled by Pakistan in the Security Council in 2003 in the form of our proposal for Ad Hoc Composite Committees.
Pakistan participated actively in the discussions leading up to the Summit and played an equally constructive role in the subsequent consultations to finalize the details for operationalizing the Peace-building Commission.
The Peace-building Commission is expected to further synergize peacekeeping and peace-building activities for the promotion of durable peace and preventing relapse of conflict.
Pakistan has been selected as a member of the Peacebuilding Commission from the category of troop contributing countries. Pakistan looks forward to contributing to the work of the Peace-building Commission with its vast experience in peacekeeping and peace-building.
Pakistan is the largest contributor of military personnel to UN operations for the last three years (2003-2005). Pakistan is also amongst the top providers of Civilian Police and Military Observers. Pakistan is currently participating in 11 peacekeeping operations that include integrated missions – Liberia, Cote d’Ivoire, DRC, Burundi, Sudan and Haiti. Pakistani peacekeepers played a key role in the just completed UN Mission in Sierra Leone.

Security Council Reform

The Security Council has primary responsibility under the UN Charter for the maintenance of international peace and security.

Reform of the Security Council is an issue of vital interest for all Member States.

Pakistan supports a comprehensive reform of the Security Council to make it more representative, democratic, effective, legitimate and accountable to the general membership.

Reform of the Security Council is considered broadly under two rubrics: enlargement of membership; and improvement of working methods.

We accord high priority to reforming the working methods of the Security Council, which will be of direct benefit to the vast majority of UN members specially the smaller countries.

Although there is a general desire amongst the membership to reform the Council, there is yet no agreement on the modalities to achieve that. Most controversial and divisive is the question of adding new permanent members.

We strongly believe all major issues in the reform process, including the issue of Security Council reform, must be decided by consensus or broadest possible agreement. We reject the idea of putting reform issues to vote.

Pakistan's position on Security Council reform is principled, clear, unambiguous and consistent.

Pakistan is against addition of permanent members without any exception. We have maintained this position over the years. Accordingly, we oppose the G-4 (Brazil, Germany, Japan and India) quest for individual permanent membership and unequal status.

As a member of the Uniting for Consensus (UfC) movement, Pakistan advocates a just and equitable reform based on consensus that corresponds to the interests of all member states, not just a few states.

No reform proposal has so far garnered the requisite 2/3rd support in the General Assembly. Besides, the vital support of each of the P-5, needed for ultimate ratification of Charter amendment to bring into effect any SC reform, is not assured.

The discussions in the General Assembly on the issue of Security Council reform clearly indicate that there is no shift in the positions †† of the main parties (Africa, UfC, G-4 and P-5) on the issue.
We believe this vital issue cannot be resolved through divisive votes or artificial deadlines. The G-4 campaign in the run up to the 2005 Summit severely undermined the reform process and threatened the unity of the United Nations.
New Developments: 4 African countries (A-4: South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana and Senegal) tabled the African draft resolution ‡‡ on Security Council reform in December 2005. We discouraged the initial intention of the A-4 to call a vote on its resolution since it would have been highly detrimental to the unity and dignity of Africa. The Khartoum AU Summit in January 2006 decided to maintain that draft resolution as African position but did not agree to putting it to a vote.
G-3 (Brazil, Germany and India) on the other hand submitted their draft resolution §§ (previously the G-4 draft resolution) on 5 January 2006.
Japan while not completely disassociating itself from the G-4 framework, also pursued a separate track with the US to propose a formula for a limited expansion of the Council – by adding only six new seats, whose nature, whether permanent or non-permanent were to be decided on the basis of vote in the General Assembly. This formula has not received any support.
In an effort to get the African votes, the G-3 has recently made a new compromise proposal to Africa. This proposal names the G-4 as new permanent members while keeping two permanent seats for Africa, which could rotate its members against these seats until the AU selects two permanent members. This proposal is even more controversial, divisive and undemocratic and has not received any support. At the Baujul Summit, the AU has maintained the common African position.
The UfC understands the African position. The UfC would also like to explore how Africa could work with us to support equal and non-discriminatory approach for all regional groups with regard to their representation on the Council, so that what is available to Africa is also available to all other groups. We believe the African solution should be transformed into a global solution.
UfC has not deemed it appropriate to submit again its draft resolution on the reform of the Security Council at this stage of the UN reform process. UfC favors a constructive, inclusive and bottom-up approach, through dialogue, in order to find a non-divisive solution based on the principle of equal participation of all Member States, be they big, medium or small in size. Any preconceived formula or forced vote is unlikely to lead to successful reform.
Therefore we reiterate the need for a consensus approach and the broadest possible agreement, through negotiations involving all concerned parties, to arrive at a solution that can pass the test at the General Assembly and subsequent ratifications by the national parliaments.
The UfC proposal has clear merits. It has the flexibility to accommodate the positions and interests of all member states, large and small. We do not support the expansion of permanent membership. However, our proposal can accommodate the aspirations of some large states to play a bigger role on the Security Council e.g. through more frequent re-election if supported by their regional groups.
In the context of working methods we are sympathetic to the S-5 proposal and would like to see it evolve into broadest possible agreement. In line with our principled positions, we do not, however, favour a vote on this proposal. We also feel that a vote would not guarantee the actual implementation of that resolution by the Security Council.
UfC proposal and the African position
The UfC proposal is equitable, fair and democratic. It provides for a greater role of the regions in determining their representation on the Council. It has the necessary flexibility to accommodate the interests of all states and groupings in terms of their representation on the Council through rotation and re-election.
We understand the aspirations of Africa for equitable representation and of some other important and friendly countries to play a larger role in the work of the Council. Without compromising our own principled position, we are willing to consider how their aspirations could be fulfilled including “continuous presence” on the Council. Since extension of veto beyond existing permanent members has been ruled out as an unrealistic proposition, continuous presence on the Council can be achieved through re-election and consent of the respective regional groups.
The UfC and African positions are compatible in many ways.
Regional representation: In our understanding, Africa is asking for permanent seats for the entire region/continent, not for individual countries. It is fundamentally different from the G-4 countries who are seeking seats for themselves.
The UfC proposal provides for a greater role of the regions in determining their representation on the Council. UfC proposal responds to the AU position that it should be responsible for selection of African representatives in the Security Council and for determination of the criteria for such a selection.
UfC model can accommodate representation for all 5 sub-regions of Africa at the same time.
In the UFC proposal, the five regional groups are given the authority to make their own specific arrangements with regard to their representation on the Council.
Rotation is the ideal means to strengthen regional interests, as envisioned in the UFC proposal. Rotation was also a key element of the African common position (Harare).
The idea of continuous presence can be accommodated by our proposal of re-election, while also preserving the principle of sovereign equality and the element of accountability.

Terrorism

The September Outcome Document contains two important recommendations regarding terrorism: the conclusion of the draft comprehensive convention and the development and adoption of a comprehensive counter terrorism strategy.
We support efforts for the early conclusion, by consensus, of the draft comprehensive convention on international terrorism. Pakistan will continue to play a constructive in these efforts.
In March 2005, the Secretary General identified certain elements of counter terrorism strategy. We believe these elements need to be refined and elaborated further. The co-chair of the plenary working group have evolved, through consultations, a draft strategy document. This draft requires further work in a number of areas of crucial importance.
A comprehensive counter terrorism strategy should include measures for international cooperation against terrorism and building States’ capacity to counter terrorism.
In accordance with the Summit’s decision, the strategy cannot exclude acts of terrorism perpetrated by States.
It is also important to maintain a distinction between terrorism and peoples’ right to self determination and to resist foreign occupation and alien domination.
The strategy should dissuade disaffected groups from choosing terrorism as a tactic by addressing the underlying causes of terrorism. We will have to eliminate the threat of terrorism by winning the minds and hearts of potential terrorists.
There is also a need to adopt short and long term strategies to address terrorism and extremism. It is essential to promote the just resolution of political disputes, and to promote socio-economic revival in developing countries, specially the Muslim world.
We believe that conflict resolution, socio-economic revival, and dialogue and cooperation among religions, faiths and cultures should constitute an essential part of the comprehensive strategy against terrorism.

Disarmament and Non-proliferation -- “Evolving a New Security Consensus”

The consensus underpinning disarmament and non-proliferation has eroded. The multilateral disarmament machinery is largely dysfunctional. There are clear differences of perspective, approach and modalities among States to promote international and regional peace and security through disarmament and non-proliferation efforts.

There is an urgent need to evolve a new consensus to achieve disarmament and non-proliferation through inclusive and cooperative means; through consultations and agreement among all UN Member States. The challenges of proliferation require systemic solutions.
Elements of a new consensus could include:

Affirmation of the centrality of UN Charter for peaceful resolution of underlying disputes and acceptance of the principle of “equal security” for all States;
Adherence to principles and purposes of UN Charter to advance disarmament and non-proliferation and to promote and preserve international and regional peace and security;
Initial steps towards disarmament including those agreed at the international level; De-alert nuclear weapons;
Compliance by all States Parties to their respective obligations towards WMD disarmament and non- proliferation;
Normalization of the relationship of the three non-NPT States with the NPT regime (as suggested by Dr. al-Baradei and others);
Commitment by all States to implement agreed measures to prevent terrorists from acquiring WMDs and their means of delivery;
Reaffirmation that preventing the proliferation of WMDs shall not hamper international cooperation for peaceful purposes while goals of peaceful uses should not be used as a cover for proliferation;
Progress towards conventional weapons control and non-proliferation, specially in regions of conflict with a view to promoting the maintenance of security at the lowest possible level of armaments;
Full implementation of the UN Programme of Action on SALW;
Revitalization of the UN disarmament machinery, specially the Conference on Disarmament (CD), the UN Disarmament Commission (UNDC) and the First Committee to address the international security, disarmament and proliferation challenges;
Convening of a Special Session of the General Assembly to evolve and develop a new consensus on disarmament and non-proliferation incorporating the above elements.

Development and ECOSOC reform

Development issues remain a priority concern for the majority at the UN. A coherent international approach to development is, therefore, vital to achieve the goals of ending poverty and spreading prosperity.
Promoting development must remain a central task and function of the UN – the first pillar of its foundation and raison d' etre also duly acknowledged by the Summit.
The UN should, therefore, develop concrete ways and means to promote full realization of internationally agreed development goals including MDGs.
Implementation has remained the Achilles heel of the development agenda. At the 2005 World Summit, our leaders expressed their "determination to ensure the timely and full realization of the development goals and objectives agreed at the major United Nations conferences and summits, including the MDGs".
The UN General Assembly has adopted by consensus a follow up resolution on development commitments. The resolution recognizes the need for establishing implementation mechanisms to ensure monitoring and effective follow up of development commitments.
An Implementation Framework to be established at the United Nations may involve a three step approach to promote the implementation of IADGs, including MDGs. The first step may involve the identification, as precisely as possible, of the agreed commitments and goals and development of a comprehensive matrix of development goals, targets, indicators and the actors involved in achieving them. The second step should be the review and assessment of the progress made in the implementation of goals and commitments listed in the development matrix with ECOSOC as its mainstay. The third step should be a broader thematic discussion at a Ministerial level Session to be convened at the start of each UN General Assembly with a view to adopting the assessment and policy guidance emanating from the review process undertaken by ECOSOC.
A strengthened Economic and Social Council can play a vital role in the implementation of the agreed goals and commitments. On the basis of the proposal developed by Pakistan and other ECOSOC members, the 2005 Summit has assigned several responsibilities to ECOSOC in promoting policy dialogue, development cooperation, post conflict development, and coordination within the UN system.
We are hopeful that the process of consultations initiated to implement the Summit decisions on ECOSOC Reform would reach conclusion at the earliest and result in substantive agreements.

System Wide Coherence

At the September 2005 Summit, the world leaders called for stronger system wide coherence in the work of the various development-related organizations, agencies, funds and programmes of the UN system in the fields of development, humanitarian assistance and environmental issues.
The Secretary General, pursuant to the mandate given to him by the 2005 World Summit, has established a High Level Panel on System-Wide Coherence in the areas of Development, Humanitarian Assistance and Environment. The Panel, which has held three meetings thus far, is being co-chaired by the Prime Ministers of Pakistan, Norway and Mozambique, and comprises 12 eminent and experienced figures as its members.
The Panel is expected to develop concrete recommendations on strengthening, the UN operational system in the areas of development, humanitarian assistance and environment.
Pakistan, with our Prime Minister as the Panel co-Chair, is happy to be closely associated with this valuable and urgently needed exercise.
The work of the Panel, we believe, should be guided by a strategic vision of the contribution that the UN system can and should make to economic and social development and promoting greater prosperity.
The UN system had a unique role to play in all these global issues, however, the current structure of the UN system suffered from a lack of coherence, fragmentation and overlap particularly at the country level.
National ownership of the developing countries was the key to coherence and implementation.
The UN needs to segment its delivery mechanism based on country needs and should have a niche by determining its core competencies in the fields of health, food, slum improvement etc. Donor coordination and good donorship was critical and the UN must play its role in the process.
On humanitarian assistance and disaster relief the establishment of the Central Emergency Relief Fund (CERF) was a much-needed step. The Secretary General must have at his disposal sufficient funds to respond to natural disaster in time.
Environmental challenges, such as global warming, had implications also for future generations. The UN system should assist in the required management response. National leaders had to balance between immediate objectives and long-term objectives in the environment context.

Management and Secretariat reform

Pakistan supports the objective of management reform of the UN Secretariat in order to make it more efficient, transparent, accountable, and capable of addressing effectively the threats and challenges of the 21st century.
Management and Secretariat reform should reflect the actual need and desire to reform and strengthen the UN and should not be a reaction to uninformed or partisan criticism.
The UN General Assembly has adopted a number of important decisions and proposals contained in Secretary General’s report “Investing in the United Nations for a Stronger Organization Worldwide”. Management reform is an on going process. Our approach in the continuing reform process will be guided by the following considerations:
The United Nations is an inter-governmental Organization. The Organization cannot follow the corporate governance or the operational framework of a money-making enterprise or private sector corporation.
Under the Charter, the Member States are obliged to provide the Organization with adequate resources to enable it to effectively deliver the approved mandates. Inadequate allocation of resources leads to greater reliance on extra-budgetary resources. Such a trend could have a detrimental effect on those mandated programmes which are not attractive to donors.
There should be no special privileges and status for any member state on the basis of its budgetary contributions to the United Nations. The UN Charter, which was founded on the principle of sovereign equality, stipulates payment of dues according to a country’s “capacity to pay”.
Addressing the development needs of the member states is a matter of high priority for a vast majority of Member States. The programmes that relate to the poverty alleviation, promotion of universal primary education and other high priority areas identified in various UN mandates should receive adequate financial and human resources.
Priority-setting in the programs and activities of the Organization is an intergovernmental activity. Authority and flexibility granted to the Secretary General for deployment and redeployment of human and financial resources should not be used to undermine the priorities determined by the Member States.
Delegation of greater flexibility to the Secretary General should be accompanied with clear mechanism of accountability.
The process of recruitment, placement and promotion in the Secretariat, in particular at the senior and policy making levels, must be made genuinely transparent and equitable.
Matters relating to human resources management, such as a one-time staff buy-out, should be dealt with as part of a comprehensive exercise, and not in a piece-meal manner.
Intergovernmental oversight needs to be strengthened, given the admitted shortcoming in the management of the UN Secretariat. The General Assembly should serve as the principal oversight organ of the United Nations. Budgets for OIOS should ultimately be adopted by the Assembly, which must also be able to review the status of implementation of OIOS recommendations by the Secretariat.
The OIOS needs to have greater financial and operational independence. However, such independence must be coupled with greater accountability to the General Assembly.
We oppose withholding financial dues to the UN, as a deliberate policy to impose reforms. All Member States are obliged to make their contribution to the regular budget of the Organization in full, on time and without conditions and in accordance with the capacity to pay. We believe the Organization must be provided with adequate resources to implement its mandates.
Review of mandates: As a co-chair of the working group on management reforms, Pakistan together with Ireland is steering the process of reviewing mandates older than five years established by the Organization during the past six decades. Pakistan welcomes the objective report given by the Secretary General to facilitate discussions.
We think that given the complexity of the task of reviewing over ten thousand mandates of three principal organs, it would be a time consuming process.
Pakistan believes that this should not be merely a cost-cutting exercise but must enhance the output and effective implementation of all existing mandates.
Politically sensitive mandates should be dealt with due respect to the political sensitivity of the Member States.
This review should be conducted in a transparent and inclusive manner and only through intergovernmental consideration. All decisions should be adopted through broadest possible agreement.
All principal organs should conduct the review of their respective mandates with full respect to above cited principles.

Revitalization of the General Assembly

Since 1993, the General Assembly has adopted several resolutions on this subject with a view to restore General Assembly’s central position as the chief deliberative, policy-making and representative organ of the Untied Nations and to enable it to play its role effectively. The 2005 Summit Outcome Document reaffirmed this commitment.

The Adhoc working group of the Plenary to consider measures to revitalize the General Assembly after several sessions of informal consultations has produced a report and draft resolution. Pakistan was actively engaged in these discussions.

We believe that the draft report and resolution presented by the two Co-Chairs cover wide spectrum of opinions expressed during the process and provide a good basis for further action. .

Pakistan’s approach in the process had been premised around the following key principles.

Affirmation and strengthening of the GA’ role as the chief deliberative organ of the United Nations .
The General Assembly should activate its role on the issues of peace and security as envisaged under the Charter. The UNSG and relevant Secretariat departments should keep the General Assembly periodically and fully informed of developments relating to all issues, including security issues under consideration by the Security Council.
The General Assembly should restore its responsibility in issues such as terrorism, disarmament, non-proliferation, peacekeeping, civilians in armed conflicts which do not fall under the provisions of the Charter regarding threats to international peace and security to be addressed primarily by the Security Council.
The President of General Assembly should be more proactive in ensuring active contact and coordination with the Presidents of the other principal organs, to ensure the preservation of the General Assembly’s Charter role and responsibilities, to convey the Assembly’s evaluation of Security Council reports and other issues of concern such as encroachment of Assembly’s prerogatives.
The President of General Assembly in his capacity as the chief spokesperson of the Assembly can contribute to the visibility of its activities through regular interaction with media.
The United Nations Secretariat should be provided adequate financial resources to ensure the full and effective implementation of all General Assembly resolutions, especially those pertaining to development and international peace and security.
The General Assembly should play its due role in the appointment of Secretary-General in accordance with the provisions of the Charter.
The General Assembly’s role in financial and budgetary matters and the administrative oversight of the Secretariat should be fully preserved in accordance with the UN Charter.

Responsibility to protect populations from genocide war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity

The protection of civilians lies with each individual State.
The international community should, as necessary, encourage and help States in this regard. The international community should use diplomatic, humanitarian and other peaceful means under Chapter VI of the UN Charter to help protect civilians from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing, and crimes against humanity.
If such peaceful means appear insufficient, we recognize our shared responsibility to take collective action through the Security Council, and, as appropriate, in cooperation with relevant regional arrangements under Chapter VIII of the Charter.
We support the implementation of the United Nations Action Plan to prevent genocide.
We stress the need to carefully study and consider within the General Assembly the expression “responsibility to protect” and its implications on the basis of principle of non-interference and non-intervention as well as the respect of territorial integrity and national sovereignty of the State, bearing in mind the provisions of the charter of the United Nations, international law and international humanitarian law.

Pacific Settlement of disputes

The Charter of the United Nations offers vast possibilities for pacific settlement of disputes and conflict prevention. Unfortunately, these possibilities remain grossly under-utilized, with the Security Council, the General Assembly and the Secretary General not playing their due roles.
Good offices, mediation and other means for peaceful settlement could be applied in a range of situations from pre-conflict to post-conflict.
We support efforts for enhancing the role of the ‘good offices’ of the Secretary General as provided for in 2005 Summit Outcome.
Other provisions of the Charter for pacific settlement should also be operationalized and institutionalized.
The Security Council should reinforce the Charter obligation to refrain from the threat or use of force, to avoid war and to seek and build peace, through the vast spectrum of modalities envisaged in Chapter VI and other provisions of the Charter.
Requests to the International Court of Justice for advisory opinions to clarify legal questions may be considered, in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Charter. The Council should make optimal use of advisory opinions, once rendered, to further the efforts for pacific settlement.
The Secretariat and the SG in particular should take initiatives when situations so require. Impartiality, neutrality and non-selective application of means of pacific settlement should always be observed in doing so.
Special attention should be paid and initiatives for good offices taken in case of intractable and long-outstanding situations.
The Secretary General should make greater use of his prerogative under Article 99 and bring to the attention of the Security Council any matter which in his opinion may threaten the maintenance of international peace and security.

^†† G-4: 25 member Council with addition of 6 permanent (without veto) and 4 non permanent members.
AU: 26 member Council with addition of 6 permanent (2 for Africa with veto) and 5 non-permanent (3 for Africa) members
UfC: 25 member Council with addition of 10 non-permanent seats, re-electable, as decided by the regions
US: Rejects the above 3 proposals. Can consider increase of 2 or so permanent members (including Japan) and 2-3 non-permanent members all based on criteria
(size of population, economy, contribution to peace and security, peacekeeping, record of democracy, fight against terrorism and non-proliferation, etc.)

^‡‡ A/60/L.41
^§§ A/60/L.46

UfC proposal and the African position

Pakistan Mission to United Nations

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