“UN’s inaction on the issue of Palestine is hurting its credibility”, said the president of the 75th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), Volkan Bozkir on Thursday.
While speaking at the National Defense University in Islamabad, Bozkir shed light on various issues, including Palestine, the Kashmir Issue, and the coronavirus pandemic.
“Inaction on the issue of Palestine, which is a grave matter, is damaging the credibility of the United Nations and the Security Council,” Bozkir said. He further hoped that the Security Council will also hear a unanimous vote on this important and necessary issue.
“Hundreds of Palestinians have been killed in blatant human rights abuses. Negotiations are urgently needed to establish two independent states. The UN General Assembly will not sit idly until peace is restored in the Middle East.”
He said.
On the Kashmir issue, the UNGA Secretary-General also spoke about the Kashmir issue and said that he knows how a common Pakistani feels about the issue.
“I have always urged the parties to refrain from changing the status of the disputed territory. I urge India and Pakistan to work for a peaceful solution to this problem.”
He said.
He also added that peace, stability and prosperity hinge on the normalization of relations between Pakistan and India through the resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute.
About the current pandemic, Bozkir said that the coronavirus vaccine is equally needed by rich and poor countries, adding that governments’ efforts are yielding results.
While speaking on Afghanistan, the president said that peace in the country is imperative for stability in the region. While appreciating Pakistan’s role in the peace process in Afghanistan, he said, “The Afghan peace process should be Afghan-owned and Afghan-led.”
PGA Bozkir was invited by Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and is here in Pakistan on a three day visit after concluding his visit in Bangladesh.
“After an important and fruitful official visit to Bangladesh, I arrived in Islamabad for my official visit to Pakistan. I look forward to my important meetings in Islamabad.”
Bozkir said.
Bozkir is the first Turkish national UN General Assembly’s President, a former diplomat and a senior politician.
Before taking up the position of president of the UNGA, he visited Pakistan in August 2020.
