THE ROLE OF PAKISTAN IN UNITED NATIONS

ASSIGNMENT #01 SEMESTER SPRING 2020

SUBMISSION DATE (MARCH 18,2020)
BY
FAIZA SAJID @18071517-009
NIMBRA TANVEER @18071517-031
NAZISH ALI @18071517-033
PAKISTAN STUDIES
PKS101
BS. ENGLISH (CELTS) 4th SEMESTER
SUBMITTED TO
SIR SHOAIB SHABIR
CENTER FOR LANGUAGES AND TRANSLATION STUDIES
Contents:
 Introduction
 Why Pakistan join UN?
 Pakistan in UN Agencies
 Role of Pakistan in UN peacekeeping Operations
 In UN, Pakistan Stresses on Inclusive Political Process for Durable Peace:-
 Pakistan at United Nations
 Pakistan as Sustainable Development- The United Nations:
 Conclusion

Introduction:

Pakistan officially joined the United Nations (UN) on 30 September 1947 just over a month after it came into existence.
Pakistan joined the United Nations on September 30, 1947, just over a month after its independence. Pakistan is
committed to a world in which upholding human dignity is the highest value and maintaining global peace a sacred
duty. Pakistan envisages a world which is free of want, hunger and deprivation. Today,, it is a charter member and
participates in all of the UN's specialised agencies and organisations.

Why Pakistan join UN?

So to play its role as a peaceful nation against colonization, racial discrimination, territorial and regional
aggression, Pakistan joined the UNO in 1947.

Pakistan in UN Agencies:

Pakistan participates in all of the UN’s specialized agencies. These include: United Nations Development program
(UNDP), the World Food Programme (WFP), the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations International
Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO),
UN International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the United Nations High Commission for refugees
(UNHCR) , and UN Habitat.

Role of Pakistan in UN peacekeeping Operations:-

The heroes of the world community are not those who withdraw when difficulties ensue, not those who can envision neither the
prospects of success nor the consequences of failure -- but those who...

"The heroes of the world community are not those who withdraw when difficulties ensue, not those who can
envision neither the prospects of success nor the consequences of failure -- but those who stand the heat of
battle, the fight for world peace through the United Nations.” (Hurbert Humphrey)

Considerable research has been carried out on defining the intangible concept of peace building since long.
During the end of last century, peace researchers, initially defined peace building in relation to a conflict
continuum that passed from pre-conflict prevention through peacemaking and peacekeeping. In the opinion of
Boutrous Ghali, Secretary-General of the United Nations, “Peace building was associated with the post-conflict
phase and defined as “action to identify and support structures which will tend to strengthen and solidify peace
in order to avoid a relapse into conflict.”

UN Peacekeeping missions cover a long and cherished history of Pakistani association with the United Nations.
Pakistan joined UN in 1947 immediately after attaining independence. Pakistan’s involvement in UN
Peacekeeping missions dates back to 60s. Pakistan’s decision to join UN Peacekeeping efforts was in line with
our founder’s vision. Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah himself was a great supporter of this thought as is
evident from his saying. “Our foreign policy is one of friendliness and goodwill towards all the nations of the
world. We believe in the principle of honesty and fair play in national and international dealings and are
prepared to make our utmost contribution to the promotion of peace and prosperity among the nations of the
world. Pakistan will never be found lacking in extending its material and moral support to the oppressed and
suppressed people of the world and in upholding the principles of the United Nations Charter.”

Participation of Pakistan in UN Peace Keeping operations started in 1960 with deployment in Congo. Since then
a large number of soldiers, civilians, police and paramedical forces are regularly participating in numerous
missions and have conducted a host of activities under the banner of UN ranging from humanitarian assistance
to hardcore security operations. The contributions of Pakistan in UN peacekeeping missions have been duly
recognised by nothing less than UN General Secretary Ban Ki-moon in 2013 during his visit to Pakistan. He
said, “Gratitude as the United Nations General Secretary and gratitude as a global citizen for what Pakistan and
her people have been doing for international peace and security.”

Owing to the nature of challenges faced during deployment, Pakistan while recognising the importance of
focused training of its troops established state of the art training institutions. The Center for International Peace
and Stability (CIPS) was established in National University of Science & technology (NUST) on 1st March,
2013 and inaugurated by UN’s General Secretary his Excellency Ban Ki-moon. The prestigious guest while
appreciating the contributions of Pakistan in UN Peacekeeping efforts said, “More than 100 countries contribute
troops and police for UN peace keeping missions. Pakistan is Number 1. It is impossible to speak about the
history of UN Peacekeeping without highlighting the country’s contribution.”

CIPS has an inclusive system of training for peacekeeping, peace-building & stability and support operations.
The institute focuses on research to find means to resolve conflicts without use of force through negotiations.
CIPS also offers PhD programmes for domestic as well as foreign students. Similarly, the Peacekeeping
Training Wing of School of Infantry & Tactics is another such institution.

Participation in peacekeeping missions is not free from serious challenges ranging from bloody encounters to
loss of life. Pakistan’s participation in some of the peacekeeping missions since her joining has been enviously
impressive. Valiant Armed Forces of Pakistan have sacrificed many lives while serving the oppressed humanity
in UN Peacekeeping missions. They have an envious figure of 138 martyrs including 22 officers who lost their
lives to save the humanity. It is about 10% of total causalities suffered by UN Peacekeeping missions since
inception. Maximum casualty on anyone day occurred during ‘Operation United Shield” in UN Mission in
Somalia on 5 June, 1993 in which our 24 brave soldiers sacrificed their lives while ensuring safety of the people
of Somalia and UN comrades overwhelmed by the rebels. Every year 5th June is observed as the Pakistani
Peacekeepers day. Besides causalities, the list of serious wounded/injured personnel is also too long. These
soldiers suffered life-long disabilities in their service to humanity. Description of contribution of Pakistan in UN
Peacekeeping operations will not be complete without mentioning the higher leadership role entrusted by UN.
Pakistan has the singular honour of being appointed on various key appointments of UN Peacekeeping
operations. It includes Special Envoy/Adviser to UN Secretary General, Special Representative of UN Secretary
General, Military Adviser at DPKO, Chief Military observer, Force and Deputy Force Commanders.

Pakistan is a peace loving nuclear power democratic state. It fully understands her international responsibilities
and never lacks behind in fulfilling them. Its armed forces and citizens are highly professional and second to
none. They are fully capable of safeguarding their motherland. Besides defending their own frontiers, they are
the world leaders in UN led Peacekeeping efforts. Their performance in these missions has been excellent and
recognised internationally. Their overwhelming participation and sacrifices in UN Peacekeeping operations are
not for any worldly gains or verbal appreciation. These brave soldiers rather, have a strong conviction that no
one can live today until he has done something for someone who can never pay back. They have an unruffled
resolve to save humanity even at the cost of own lives.

In UN, Pakistan Stresses on Inclusive Political Process for Durable Peace:-

Pakistan said that the sustainability of gains in peacekeeping operations needs a political process which prevents any
relapse into conflict.

Speaking in the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in the debate on the Peace-building Commission and Peace-
building Fund, Pakistan’s Ambassador to the UN, Maleeha Lodhi, stressed the need to keep the UN Peace-building
Commission (PBC) financially strong so as to enable the 31-member intergovernmental body meet the post-conflict needs
of countries emerging from turmoil.

 She called on the international community to invest in the peace-building which entails adequate funding and
capacity building of state institutions.

 Peace, the Pakistani envoy also emphasized, is sustained when its foundations are based on inclusiveness.

 “Nationally owned political processes must, therefore, be supported as only they can chart a sustainable path
forward” she stated.

 While noting the significant contribution of the UN’s Peace-building Commission over the years to support the
efforts of countries emerging from conflict, Ambassador Lodhi stressed the critical role of the Commission in
transition situations following the conclusion of peacekeeping operations.

 Peacekeeping efforts, therefore, should build on the work of UN peacekeepers to consolidate the efforts of blue
helmets on the ground, she argued.

 Ambassador Lodhi told the 193-member world body that as a founding member of the Commission, Pakistan,
believed that peace-building was the natural and indispensable successor of peacekeeping.

 She also told the General Assembly that Pakistan, along with Japan and Norway, was championing innovative
financing to augment existing financial streams for the Peace-building Fund.

 “We fully understand the importance of funding in peace-building”, she said and added that Pakistan looked
forward to engaging with stakeholders in the system to explore options for strengthening the Fund both in terms of
resources and utilization mechanisms.

 Ambassador Lodhi welcomed the Commission’s emphasis on enhancing international and regional engagement
with national governments.

Pakistan at the United Nations

1. Pakistan joined the United Nations on September 30, 1947, just over a month after its independence.

2. Pakistan is committed to a world in which upholding human dignity is the highest value and maintaining global
peace a sacred duty. Pakistan envisages a world which is free of want, hunger and deprivation. A world where
justice and fair play govern the affairs of human beings and inequality, oppression and war are abhorred.
3. Over the last 66 years, Pakistan has put this vision into practice by making significant contributions to the
principles and purposes of the UN Charter, in particular the promotion and maintenance of international peace and
security, as a member of the Security Council and through its contribution to UN Peacekeeping. It has been an
ardent advocate of multilateralism and the primacy of the United Nations in international affairs.

4. Pakistan’s commitment and participation in the United Nations is across-the-board. It has actively participated in
discussions at the United Nations on a host of issues including human rights, development, environment and
climate change, and international law.

5. Pakistan is currently an elected member to the following UN bodies: Human Rights Council (2013-15);
Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (2012-17); Commission for Social Development (2013-2017);
Commission on the Status of Women (2013-2017); Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (2013-
2015); UNICEF Executive Board (2013-2015); UNDP/UNFPA Executive Board (2013-2015); and United
Nations Committee on Contributions (2013-16).

6. Pakistan seeks resolution of the Kashmir dispute on the basis of Resolutions adopted by the Security Council. Our
principled position on the dispute remains a bed-rock of our foreign policy. We will continue to support the right
of self-determination of the people of Jammu & Kashmir and to choose their destiny in accordance with UNSC
resolutions.

7. As the largest troop contributing country to the UN peacekeeping operations, Pakistan's commitment to
international peace and security is well established. It deployed its first ever contingent in Congo in 1960. Pakistan
has since participated in 41 peacekeeping missions in 23 countries, with over 150,000 peacekeepers, some
deployed in most difficult and trying conditions. A total of 137 Pakistani peacekeepers have embraced martyrdom.
Currently, Pakistan is one of the largest troop contributors, with 8,230 peacekeepers, constituting over 9% of UN's
total deployment. Pakistan is also the sixth largest police contributor.

8. Pakistan is actively working with the global community in the campaign against international terrorism. It has
extended maximum cooperation and support to the international community to fight this scourge. No country in
the world has suffered as much as Pakistan because of this menace. The entire Pakistani nation is determined to
eliminate terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.

9. Pakistan considers arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation efforts as vital tools to promote the goals of
peace and security at the global and regional levels. Accordingly, Pakistan has always advocated the need for
inclusive forums for deliberations and negotiations, taking into account the security interests of all States.

10. As part of its efforts to contribute to the global discourse on disarmament and non-proliferation, Pakistan presents
four resolutions annually in the United Nations General Assembly. These resolutions are aimed at reinforcing the
global norms on conventional arms control, regional disarmament, confidence building measures in the regional
context and the continuing importance of providing Negative Security Assurances to non-nuclear weapon States.

11. Pakistan has been a leading voice for the reform of the Security Council to make it more democratic, inclusive and
accountable through reform of its membership and improvement in its working methods.

12. Pakistan assumed the membership of the Security Council for a two-year term from January 2012 to December
2013. This was the seventh time that Pakistan served on the Security Council. Pakistan brought to the Security
Council the aspirations of the general membership, developing countries, OIC and Asia.
 13. Pakistan delegation was engaged in the Council on the full spectrum of the agenda ranging from Africa to the
Middle East to Central Europe to Latin America as well as a number of thematic issues. Peace and stability in
Afghanistan, counter-terrorism and peacekeeping are the areas of special interest for Pakistan.

14. During our Presidency of the Security Council in January 2013, we convened two special thematic debates: (i)
comprehensive approach to counter-terrorism; and (ii) UN Peacekeeping: a multidimensional approach. The latter
led to adoption of a landmark resolution on peacekeeping operations.

15. Pakistan continues to support the need for dialogue, diplomacy and international cooperation to address existing
and emerging international challenges, in an effective and credible manner on the basis of consensus and
concerted collective actions.

Pakistan as Sustainable Development- The United Nations:

Pakistan committed to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development right from its inception, in 2015. In February 2016,
it became the first country in the world to adopt the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as part of its national
development agenda through a National Assembly Resolution. Learning from the experience of the Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs), Pakistan’s national and provincial assemblies established SDG Taskforces to oversee
progress on the goals. In fact, Pakistan started a conversation around the post-2015 Agenda as early as 2013, when
nationwide consultations helped identify the priorities that were weaved into Pakistan’s national development perspective.
These developments reflect Pakistan’s commitment to the SDGs. More recently, the 12th Five-Year Plan and provincial
medium-term development strategies are all aligned with the 2030 Agenda. Pakistan is progressing on several fronts –
such as reducing poverty and child stunting, improving transparency and accountability, and promoting gender equality
and women’s empowerment. Pakistan’s political commitment to these priorities supports the 2030 Agenda.

To improve vertical and horizontal coordination among different tiers of government and non-governmental stakeholders,
seven SDG Support Units have been established at the federal, provincial and federally administered area levels. These
units, guided by the federal Ministry of Planning, Development & Reform (MoPD&R) and provincial and
administrativearea Planning & Development Departments (P&DDs), have been instrumental in collating Pakistan’s first
Voluntary National Review (VNR). The review process encompassed several comprehensive and inclusive stakeholder
consultations, spread over months,focusing on seven pre-determined themes.

Pakistan has designed a comprehensive National SDG Framework which was approved by the National Economic Council
(NEC), the country’s highest economic policy-making forum, in March 2018. This Framework sets baselines and targets
for SDG indicators and will feed into the SDGs’ Monitoring and Evaluation Framework. The framework is now guiding
the provinces and federally administered areas to determine their development priorities, based on local needs. To bolster
the implementation of the SDGs, the provinces have instituted Technical Committees and Thematic Clusters. The
nomination of focal persons at all levels of government, down to the districts, is helping them to align their development
priorities with the 2030 Agenda. This institutional arrangement has been instrumental in guiding the alignment of federal
and provincial national policies, sectoral plans and growth strategies with the contours of the 2030 Agenda. National data
collection tools have been modified to improve data availability, with a focus on the inclusivity, equity and sustainability
aspects of the SDGs. Transparency will be a major hallmark of monitoring and evaluation architecture. Pakistan
completed its analysis of data gaps related to the SDGs as a stepping stone for monitoring and reporting progress.
Complementing these institutional reforms are several advocacy and awareness interventions across the country. Starting
from the Local Government Summit in 2017, several events have been arranged to raise awareness among grassroots level
public officials and parliamentarians, to prioritize the SDGs in legislative business in response to local needs. Civil society
and academia are fully supportive of the Government in terms of achieving these targets. Pakistan is also working to
implement the inclusive nature of the 2030
Agenda by developing communication platforms that cater to our cultural, linguistic and geographic diversity, to ensure
that ‘no one is left behind’. Since 2016, several policies and laws have been approved and promulgated. The greatest
number of legislative frameworks relate to SDG 16 (‘Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions’), SDG 8 (‘Decent Work and
Economic Growth’) and SDG 4 (‘Quality Education’). Commitment to poverty alleviation remains a key focus. Through
Pakistan’s multi-sectoral poverty reduction strategy and targeted interventions, progress has been made despite persistent
challenges. Over the past ten years, the poverty headcount has fallen by 26 percentage points and multi-dimensional
poverty by 16 percentage points. The national poverty alleviation programme, Ehsaas (compassion), was launched in 2019
to expand social protection, safety nets and support human capital development throughout the country.

This programme complements and expands the on-going, robust social protection programme for poor women. As the
national resolve to eliminate poverty is firm, the size of assistance for the lowest strata has been enhanced. The National
Socioeconomic Registry is being updated to target the poorest more effectively and to ensure that no one is left behind.
Stunting and malnutrition have decreased between 2013 and 2018 by 6 and 9 percentage points, respectively. Recognizing
persistent nutrition challenges, a greater focus is being placed on these issues, underpinned by the allocation of resources.
The prevalence of skilled birth attendance has improved by 17 percentage points while the neonatal mortality rate has
fallen by 10 percentage points during the same period. The Lady Health Workers Programme, with its grassroots presence,
has been instrumental in achieving these improvements. A new universal health coverage initiative, the Sehat Sahulat
Programme, was launched in 2019 to provide health insurance coverage for those in need. Health sector reforms are
underway, entailing a centralized integrated disease surveillance system and a strong inter-provincial information sharing
mechanism.Improving access to, and the quality of, education is a key national priority for Pakistan. Its focus is on
improved school monitoring mechanisms, along with targeted interventions for out-of-school children. While the female
literacy remains low, rising gross enrolment figures for girls’ education show that Pakistan is on track to eliminate gender
disparities in education. The results of promoting women’s empowerment through education are being felt in other
sectors, as women’s labour force participation increases, unemployment among young women decreases, and a rising
share of senior and middle management and professional positions are held by women.Measures to improve water and
sanitation are guided by the National Sanitation Policy 2006, and the National Water Policy 2018. Data reveals progress in
these areas. The Government has also increased access to electricity by 8 percentage points in the past ten years. The
proportion of the population who rely on clean fuels has risen by 11 percentage points1in the same period. This has a
range of positive implications for health and environmental sustainability. It has also led to better employment prospects
for youth, as have focused efforts to enhance market-based skills training. Despite its miniscule carbon footprint, Pakistan
faces the enormous and imminent impacts of global climate change. Therefore, climate adaptation is imperative for the
country. Pakistan has initiated actions to protect the environment and contribute to minimizing the adverse impacts of
climate change. Both climate adaptation and mitigation are reflected in the country’s policy and implementation approach.
After the successful completion of Pakistan’s Billion Tree planting drive across 350,000 hectares – the first Bonn
Challenge pledge to meet and surpass its target – Pakistan has scaled up the initiative to the 10 Billion Tree Tsunami. This
five-year, country-wide tree planting drive aims to restore depleted forests and mitigate climate change. With the launch
the Clean and Green Pakistan and Recharge Pakistan initiative, the country has taken the lead in ‘nature-based solutions
for ecosystem restoration’ among developing countries, with the added benefits of safeguarding biodiversity and
generating livelihood opportunities.

The recently elected government has launched the Naya (New) Pakistan Housing Program whereby houses will be
constructed and offered on an affordable price to a much larger segment of population by offering them the facility to
avail long term loans for purchasing them. The first phase of this project was launched in April 2019, and construction of
110,000 units was initiated in Quetta and Gwadar. The Government of Pakistan is keen to partner with the private sector
for the “Naya (New) Pakistan Housing Project”.While Pakistan is well prepared to achieve the SDGs, several challenges
remain. Financing the SDGs in a slow growth environment will be a trying task, compounded by the knowledge and
technology gap in developing local solutions and improving efficiency through improved governance. Exploring
innovative financing, developing a Responsible Business Framework and engaging local universities in devising local
solutions for local problems is the strategy that Pakistan is pursuing.

Pakistan is advancing towards its commitment to the 2030 Agenda by working to strengthen institutional mechanisms,
enhance awareness, create productive partnerships and improve coordination. A key aspect of its implementation strategy
is strengthening existing alliances and forging new ones, while leveraging technology and mobilizing finance.
Partnerships and close collaboration with a broad array of governmental, private sector, civil society, media stakeholders
supplemented by regional and international support, will continue to be a major feature. Notwithstanding economic and
financial challenges, Pakistan will continue to work towards achieving the SDGs through innovative, targeted and focused
implementation strategies in the social, economic and environmental spheres.

Conclusion:-

The United Nations is committed to working with the Government and people of Pakistan to make a lasting contribution
to national development priorities; to take forward the principle of ‘leaving no one behind’; and to improve the living
conditions of all the people in the country. Building on the results achieved under the Pakistan One UN Programme II
(2013-2017), the Government of Pakistan shall guide the UN system in jointly pursuing the national priorities enshrined in
Pakistan’s Vision 2025 and the localization of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), framed by the 2030 Agenda
for Sustainable Development. The United Nations in Pakistan will fully implement the ‘Delivering as One’ approach in
support of the Government’s vision for a more prosperous, inclusive, equitable and developed nation. This United Nations
Sustainable Development Framework for Pakistan (UNSDF), also known as the Pakistan One United Nations Programme
III (OP III) 2018-2022, is a medium-term strategic planning document that articulates the collective vision and response of
the UN system to Pakistan’s national development priorities. It highlights activities to be implemented in partnership with
the Government of Pakistan, as well as in close cooperation with international and national partners and civil society.