UNITED NATIONS (Web Desk) - A key committee of the UN General Assembly has adopted Pakistan’s four annual disarmament-related resolutions that are aimed at strengthening regional as well as international peace and security, reflecting Islamabad’s commitment to achieve those goals.
Three of these resolutions, adopted on Thursday by the 193-nation Assembly’s First Committee (Disarmament and International Security), received wide support from member states. The texts are expected to come up for endorsement by the General Assembly next month.
The resolutions deal with regional disarmament, conventional arms control at regional and sub-regional levels as well as Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) in the regional and sub-regional context.
The resolutions titled, “Regional disarmament” and “Confidence-building measures in the regional and sub-regional context” were adopted by consensus.
The text titled, “Conventional arms control at the regional and sub-regional levels” received 182 votes in favour, with India voting against, the only country to do so.
The overwhelming support for the resolution reflected the international community’s acknowledgement of Pakistan’s advocacy for conventional arms control, restraint and balance in defence capabilities of states located in the same region or sub-region.
Diplomatic observers at the UN have expressed appreciation for Pakistan’s initiatives, over the years, to promote the goals of regional disarmament, conventional arms control, and Confidence Building Measures (CBMs).
The resolutions, they noted, recognize the significance of and complementarity between regional and global approaches to arms control, disarmament and confidence building to promote international peace, security and stability.
The resolutions also draw attention to the excessive conventional military danger in the regional context (South Asia), an apparent reference to India’s massive acquisition of sophisticated arms, and they propose measure to address the associated risks and encourages efforts aimed at promoting CBMs at the regional and sub-regional levels to ease regional tensions; and further disarmament and nuclear non-proliferation measures.
The resolution on conventional arms control at regional and sub-regional levels acknowledges that preservation of a balance in states’ defence capabilities strengthens peace and stability.
Earlier, Pakistan’s resolution on negative security assurances entitled “Conclusion of effective international arrangements to assure non-nuclear weapons states against the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons” was adopted by a record vote of 117 in favour, with none against and 66 abstentions.
The resolution was co-sponsored by Bangladesh, Cuba, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Syrian Arab Republic, Algeria, Bolivia, Djibouti, Eritrea, Kazakhstan, Kiribati, Kyrgyzstan, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Tajikistan, Tunisia, Uzbekistan and Venezuela.