Rulers and decision makers must deter aggression and a calculated pursuit of violence in today's world” by nations “impelled by political goals such as territorial expansion or domination, or by deviant nonstate actors and terrorists who sow fear and destruction due to their deviant belief systems”, he said.
When asked about the Mumbai 26/11 attackers who came from Pakistan and the presence of internationally declared terrorists like Hafiz Saeed, the mastermind of that attack, and even Osama bi Laden in his country, his response was: “You know this is the kind of discussion I would like to avoid”.
India on principle would be opposed to a meeting of the Council on the issue because it considers that disputes with Pakistan are bilateral matters under the 1972 Simla Agreement between its leaders and there should be no third-party involvement. However, the Council is empowered under the UN Charter to convene a meeting on the issue.
Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif told a TV outlet that there was “an immediate threat” of a confrontation
The UN membership has undergone a sea change since 1945 and the new realities need to be reflected in the permanent membership. Any proposal that does not address the issue of representation of the Global South, including Africa, Asia and Latin America, in the permanent category does a grave injustice to the aspirations of developing countries for equality.
“A premier example is our neighbour, Pakistan”, he said of the consequences it faces internally as a result of promoting terrorism. But “unfortunately, their misdeeds affect others as well, especially the neighbourhood”, he said
New Delhi, which has historically had close diplomatic and strategic ties with Moscow, is forging an independent path open to the West giving it room to be a conduit between the two countries for peace diplomacy.
The Cold War had some rules, but today “we are in a purgatory of polarity” where the world has not reached a state of multi-polarity and “more and more countries are filling the spaces of geopolitical divides, doing whatever they want with no accountability”’
India and several countries have been pushing for the adoption of the negotiating text and the the US adding its weight gives it added impetus.
“It is now time to move forward with the establishment” of the memorial honouring the more than 4,000 UN Peacekeepers who have made the supreme sacrifice”, he said, noting that 182 Indian peacekeepers have died “upholding the cause of international peace and security”.
The report said that “according to available public reports by media and the protest movement itself, between July 16 and August 11, more than 600 people were killed. Of these, nearly 400 deaths were reported from July 16 to August 4, while around 250 people were reportedly killed following the new wave of protests between August 5 and 6 August”.
Munir Akram, the permanent representative of Pakistan which is also a member of UfC, opposed expanding permanent membership but said that Africa can be considered a special case and be given long-term seats in the Council
According to Rana Dasgupta, a leader of the minorities organisation Hindu-Bouddha-Christian Oikya Parishad, about 100 Hindus have been injured and two killed. Anti-Hindu violence took place at 97 places last week, and at least 10 temples were attacked, according to him.
While China has been providing an umbrella from sanctions for some Pakistan-based terrorists like Lashkar-e-Tayiba leader Sajid Mir, its Permanent Representative Geng Shuang spoke out at the meeting against double standards.
Although Pakistanis and their supporters cite the Security Council resolution asking for a plebiscite to be held in Kashmir, they ignore the Council’s demand that Pakistan and Pakistani nationals completely withdraw from the occupied areas.
“All countries must deliver by next year nationally determined contributions – or national climate action plans – aligned to limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius”, he said
Bracketing China with India, Lavrov attacked the West’s criticism of these “Asian giants”. He said, “A multipolar world is a reality. It's not just a made-up of fiction”.
According to the data accompanying the report, India’s population is projected to grow from the 1.45 billion now to a peak of 1.7 billion in 2064 when the decline begins and register 1.5 billion in 2100, a 12 per cent drop.
The Indian peacekeepers are a part of the 10,000-strong 49-nation UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) charged by the Security Council to work with Lebanese national forces to keep order in the volatile section known as the Blue Line that separates Lebanon and Israel.
