Pakistan and the United Nations

Pakistan officially joined the United Nations (UN) on 30 September 1947 just over a month after its independence from the British Empire. Today, it is a charter member and participates in all of the UN's specialised agencies and organisations. Pakistan has been elected a number of times into the UN Security Council. It is also one of the countries which has had a diplomat, Muhammad Zafarullah Khan, serve a term as the President of the United Nations General Assembly.
Representation:
Pakistan maintains a permanent mission to the UN, which is currently headed by Ambassador Abdullah Hussain Haroon in New York. There is a second mission based at the UNO office in Geneva, Switzerland. The Mission is usually headed by a career Foreign service officer, but has historically been led by an eminent personalities from business, media, law and other areas and are usually political appointees.
Pakistan’s Role in Peace keeping Missions:
Peacekeeping, as defined by the United Nations, is a way to help countries torn by conflict create conditions for sustainable peace. UN peacekeepers—soldiers and military officers, civilian police officers and civilian personnel from many countries—monitor and observe peace processes that emerge in post-conflict situations and assist ex-combatants in implementing the peace agreements they have signed. Such assistance comes in many forms, including confidence-building measures, power-sharing arrangements, electoral support, strengthening the rule of law, and economic and social development.
The United Nations was established to bring peace to the war torn world. Today, peace keeping is one of the biggest and important tasks of the United Nations. In disturbed, post conflict, and war torn areas, the UN sends military and civilian personnel to monitor and observe peace processes and oversee the implementation of any agreements.
Pakistan became a UN member on 30 September, 1947 and since then Pakistan has always provided large scale assistance to the UN peace keeping missions. Pakistan is one of the top contributors of military personnel for the peace keeping missions of UN. The first Pakistani military contingent went to Congo for a peace keeping mission in 1960. The following is the list, consisting some of the important peace keeping missions, performed by Pakistan Armed Forces.

1960-1964 : United Nation’s mission in Congo
1962-1963 : Part of United Nation’s security force in New Guinea
1991-2003 : United Nation’s peace keeping mission in Iraq and Kuwait
1992-1995 : UN mission in Cambodia
1992-1996 : Part of United Nation Protection Forces in Bosnia
1995-1998 : In Haiti
Sierra Leone, Brundi, Congo and many more international conflicts have witnessed the presence of Pakistani troops in maintaining peace through the United Nations. Pakistani troops have on many occasions shown bravery and sacrifice and earned respect through their valor, courage and great service to the humanity. On average, at one time, more than ten thousand Pakistani troops perform UN duty all around the globe. Until now, close to 100 Pakistanis have given their lives while performing peace keeping duties.
Pakistan has always contributed whole heartedly whenever deputed with peace keeping missions by the United Nations. However, during the gulf war, Pakistan refused to be part of the UN peace force due to sensitivities of the conflict and expected negative reaction by the Pakistani population. Barring such examples, Pakistan has always been in the forefront in the community of nations, to achieve peace in the world. As of present, Pakistan stands as the largest contributor of troops to United Nations peacekeeping missions in the world.
Politics
 Kashmir conflict
The UN continues to remain a keen observer of the Kashmir conflict between Pakistan and India, centring around the disputed state of Jammu and Kashmir. Since the transfer of power to both countries in 1947 of the divided territory, the UN has played an extensive role in regulating and monitoring the dispute.
The current agitation in Indian-Held Kashmir is rooted in the struggle of the people for the exercise of the right of self-determination. Peaceful processions chanting demands for freedom were fired upon by Indian Army and police. Thousands of men, women and children have been killed or wounded. New Delhi's allegation of assistance to the Kashmiri people from the Pakistan side is unfounded. Objective reports in foreign media testify that the Kashmiri agitation is indigenous.
Pakistan upholds the right of the people of Jammu and Kashmir to self-determination in accordance with the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council. These resolutions of 1948 and 1949 provide for the holding of a free and impartial plebiscite for the determination of the future of the state by the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
3. The basic points about the UN resolution are that:
• The complaint relating to Kashmir was initiated by India in the Security Council;
• The Council explicitly and by implications, rejected India's claim that Kashmir is legally Indian territory;
• The resolutions established self-determination as the governing principal for the settlement of the Kashmir dispute. This is the world body's commitment to the people of Kashmir;
• The resolutions endorsed a binding agreement between India and Pakistan reached through the mediation of UNCIP, that a plebiscite would be held, under agreed and specified conditions.
The Security Council has rejected the Indian contention that the people of Kashmir have exercised their right of self-determination by participating in the "election" which India has from time to time organized in the Held Kashmir. The 0.2% turn out during the 1989 "elections" was the most recent clear repudiation of the Indian claim. Pakistan continues to adhere to the UN resolutions. These are binding also on India. The Simla Agreement of 2 July 1972, to which Pakistan also continues to adhere, did not alter the status of Jammu and Kashmir as a disputed territory.
 United Nations Good Offices Mission in Afghanistan and Pakistan (UNGOMAP)
United Nations Good Offices Mission in Afghanistan and Pakistan (UNGOMAP) was established in May 1988, during the Soviet war in Afghanistan, to assist in ensuring the implementation of the agreements on the settlement of the situation relating to Afghanistan and investigate and report possible violations of any of the provisions of the agreements. The United Nations Security Council confirmed its establishment in Resolution 622 (1988). By 15 August 1988, the Soviet military withdrew nearly 50 percent of its troops (some 50,000 men) from Afghanistan, evacuating 10 main garrisons and handing them over to the Afghan armed forces. Another 8 garrisons remained under Soviet control until the end of the pullout on 15 February 1989.
UNGOMAP made every effort to investigate complaints lodged by the two parties. However, a number of difficulties hampered the effectiveness of the work of the Mission's inspection teams. These included the rough nature of the terrain, the time which lapsed before many of the alleged incidents were reported, and the security conditions prevailing in the area of operation.
UNGOMAP also maintained close cooperation with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). In particular, it was ready to monitor the situation inside Afghanistan and inform UNHCR of the safety conditions necessary for the return and resettlement of refugees. Up to 5 million refugees were estimated to be living in Pakistan and Iran. However, because the fighting in Afghanistan continued, conditions remained unstable and only a limited number of refugees returned to Afghanistan. UNGOMAP's mandate formally ended on 15 March 1990.
UN Security Council resolutions concerning Pakistan
• United Nations Security Council Resolution 29
• United Nations Security Council Resolution 622
• United Nations Security Council Resolution 647
• United Nations Security Council Resolution 1172
 United Nations Security Council Resolution 29, adopted unanimously on August 12, 1947, upon having reviewed and in some cases, re-reviewed applications for membership in the United Nations by Albania, Mongolia, Transjordan, Ireland, Portugal, Hungary, Italy, Roumania, Austria, Yemen, Bulgaria and Pakistan. The Council recommended that the General Assembly admit Yemen and Pakistan.
 United Nations Security Council resolution 622, adopted unanimously on 20 September 1988, after noting the Geneva Accords agreement signed on 14 April 1988, the Council confirmed the agreement to the measures in the letters of the Secretary-General concerning the settlement of the situation in Afghanistan. The Council therefore confirmed the establishment of the United Nations Good Offices Mission in Afghanistan and Pakistan in May 1988 and made provisions for a temporary dispatch of 50 military officers to assist in the mission as requested by the Secretary-General. It also required the Secretary-General to keep the Council updated on progress in the region.
 United Nations Security Council resolution 647, adopted unanimously on 11 January 1990, after recalling Resolution 622 (1988) and a letter by the Secretary-General concerning the settlement of the situation in Afghanistan, the Council endorsed the letter's proposals regarding the United Nations Good Offices Mission in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The Council then extended the mandate of the Mission for two months, until 15 March 1990.
 United Nations Security Council resolution 1172, adopted unanimously on 6 June 1998, after hearing of nuclear tests conducted by India and Pakistan in May 1998, the Council condemned the tests and demanded that both countries refrain from engaging in further tests.
United Nations & Pakistan:
• In 1954 Mr. Zafarullah represented Pakistan at the Security Council UNO and fairly advocated the cases of liberation of Kashmir, Libya, North Ireland, Eritrea, Somalia, Sudan, Tunisia, Morocco and Indonesia, Malaya, Nigeria and Algeria.
• Zafarullah skillfully concentrated his focus upon freedom, strength, prosperity and unity of the Muslim world. The same year he was elected as the member of
• International Court of Justice and served in this capacity till 1961.
• Pakistan’s earlier terms on the Council were in 2003-04, 1993-94, 1983-84, 1976-77, 1968-69 and 1952-53.
• Recently Pakistan elected as the temporary United Nations Security Council seat for a term that was started on January 2012 and will end in December 2013.
• Pakistan’s election to the Security Council is the acknowledgement by the international community of its services and its capabilities to contribute to the maintenance of international peace and security which is the main function of the Security Council.
• The United Nations has conferred the Prestigious United Nations Prize in the Field of Human Rights for 2008 on Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Shaheed.
• In 2008 some 867 Pakistani soldiers serving with the UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have been decorated with UN peacekeeping medals.

The United Nations programmes in Pakistan support national efforts to end poverty, address socio-economic challenges and achieve the Millennium Development Goals. Promotion of human rights and equality cuts across all UN programmes. The UN works closely with the Government, civil society organizations and humanitarian partners on the ground to help save lives affected by natural disasters, to assist those men, women, boys and girls displaced, and to equip and empower them to prepare for future calamities, including support to Afghan refugees. All UN work from relief to recovery and development is done alongside the people of Pakistan. National organizations, both governmental and non governmental, implement many UN supported programmes, with strong ownership of the Pakistani people.
The UN and its humanitarian partners have distributed nearly 321,000 tents and tarpaulins and approximately 300,000 sets of household goods to flood affected people. More than 1.2 million people have received medicines and medical care, and 1 million people have received food. The UN also provided close to 600,000 people with access to safe drinking water.

thanks for sharing this helpful post!!!