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UNITED NATIONS: A committee of the UN General Assembly unanimously adopted a Pakistan-sponsored resolution reaffirming the right of peoples to self-determination, and called for cessation of foreign military intervention, occupation and repression.

Pakistan has been tabling this draft in the 192-member assembly’s Third Committee since 1981 and each year the General Assembly passes it by consensus.

The text serves to focus the world’s attention on struggle by peoples for their inalienable right to self-determination, including those in Kashmir and Palestine.

The draft will come up for adoption in the General Assembly next month. The resolution reaffirms the universal rights of people to self-determination as enshrined in the UN Charter and international covenants on human rights.

It welcomes the progressive exercise of this right by peoples under colonial, foreign or alien occupation and their emergence into sovereign statehood and independence.

The text calls upon those states responsible to cease immediately their military intervention in and occupation of foreign countries and territories and all acts of repression, discrimination, exploitation and maltreatment, in particular the brutal and inhuman methods reportedly employed for the execution of those acts against the peoples concerned.

The text requests the Geneva-based Human Rights Council to continue to give special attention to the violation of human rights, especially the right to self determination, resulting from foreign military intervention, aggression or occupation.

Co-sponsoring countries of the resolution include Algeria, Angola, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Benin, Brunei, Darusalam, Cameron, Congo, Comoros, Central African Republic, China, Egypt, Eriteria, Guinea, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Liberia, Mali, Malayasia, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Singapore, South Africa, Thailand and Uganda.

Earlier, introducing the draft, Pakistan’s delegate Saljuk Tarar said the right to self-determination was the cornerstone of the United Nations Charter and the two international covenants, and had been affirmed and upheld by various international summits, declarations and resolutions.

The support shown to that resolution since its maiden introduction sent a strong message against foreign occupation, he said.