“We all know peace and development are mutually reinforcing and without peace we cannot even think of development and prosperity” Khar said while speaking at the NAM Ministerial meeting during interactive debate on “ Lasting Peace through Joint Global Governance” here in Tehran on Tuesday.
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 existing 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 believe 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 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 said disarmament and non-proliferation is an important area for the global peace and security. The NAM has been a strong proponent of evolving new consensus in this critical area through early convening of SSOD-IV. 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.
On the growing confrontation over Iran’s nuclear programme that threatens further instability in the broader region, she said dialogue and diplomacy should be the only instruments to resolve outstanding issues. She said Pakistan believes that a peaceful resolution of this issue is still possible on the basis of reciprocal confidence-building measures and security assurances against external threats.
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 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. The developing and the developing countries need to cooperate and work together to meet the needs and aspirations of our youthful populations, she added.
Referring to host of other issues, Hina Rabbani Khar said the NAM must work to deal with the rising costs and scarcity of energy; the continued external exploitation of natural resources, especially in Africa; the growing shortage of water; problem of migration, including free flow of labour from the developing to the developed countries; restraints on the flow of technology, especially advanced technology, to developing countries; and environmental degradation due to over-consumption by the rich at the cost of poor in developing countries.
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 stabilization; special and differential treatment, and capacity-building. NAM countries could also help each other directly, through regional economic integration and specific schemes for South-South cooperation.
She pointed out to the tendency that when various challenges begin to assume crisis proportions, the major powers seek to go “small” and “selective” by opting for decision making in self-selected mechanisms. This is a mistake and that must be avoided. The United Nations may not be the most efficient but it is still the best available. Small may be easy to manage but the shelf life of decisions taken through these mechanisms do not enjoy the desired legitimacy, she emphasised.
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