At UN, Pakistan pushes for diplomacy, protection of detainees at UNSC meeting on Ukraine

UNITED NATIONS, Aug 11 (APP):At the United Nations Security Council Arria-formula meeting on Ukraine, Pakistan Monday called on all parties to strictly adhere to their obligations under international humanitarian law, and to bring the Russo-Ukrainian conflict through diplomatic means.

“We urge all parties to abide by their respective obligations in this regard,” Pakistani delegate Kamran Taj told the 15-member Council meeting, held under the format named after Diego Arria,  a former Venezuelan Ambassador to the UN.

Arria-Formula meetings are informal that enable Security Council members to have a frank and private exchange of views on relevant subjects.

The meeting — organized by Latvia, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom — focused on prisoners of war, civilian detainees, and foreign fighters.

In his remarks, Taj, a counsellor at the Pakistan Mission to the UN, specifically highlighted the protections guaranteed to Prisoners of War (PoWs) under international law and condemned any mistreatment.

“We view the regular exchange of PoWs, between the parties, facilitated by UAE, Qatar and Turkiye, as a step in the right direction,” he said.

The Pakistani delegate also expressed concern over the involvement of foreign fighters and called for an end to the practice.

“The topic of foreign fighters has been a long-standing concern for the international community,” Taj said, noting this phenomenon has seen a sharp rise.

Pakistan, he said, has all along underpinned by its “unwavering” conviction in the primacy of dialogue and diplomacy for the peaceful settlement.

“We will continue to support all diplomatic efforts to this end.”

In this regard, the Pakistani delegate called for bringing a swift end to this conflict and for a just and lasting settlement, consistent with the UN Charter, international law, and relevant multilateral agreements, acceptable to and corresponding with the legitimate security interests of all sides.