Pakistan attaches the highest importance to the United Nations and has been an active member of the world body since September 30, 1947, President Asif Ali Zardari said on Tuesday. "We have participated constructively in all areas of UN's endeavour and discourse...Pakistan's contributions are evidence of its abiding faith in the spirit of multilateralism that the UN is founded upon," the President said in his message on the occasion of United Nations Day (October 24).
He said the United Nations Day marked the entry into force of the Charter of the United Nations in 1945. He said on this 67th foundation day, people of the world reaffirm their commitment to the purposes and principles of the Charter. In the Charter, the President added that the founding members expressed their determination to "save succeeding generations from the scourge of war."
The United Nations was based on the principles of sovereign equality and peaceful settlement of international disputes, the President added. "This is a day to renew our commitment to the ideals of peace and security, advancement of justice, international co-operation for solving economic and social problems and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms," the President said.
He said the day reminds us that the United Nations symbolises optimism for multilateral co-operation in the fields of security, development, and justice. The UN promotes universal values of tolerance, mutual respect and human dignity, he added. "We are heartened to see that under the inspiring leadership of Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, the United Nations is striving hard to fulfil its mandate adding, today, there is greater understanding of the multifarious functions performed by the UN as well as the realisation that this universal body cannot be replaced by restricted groupings."
The President said the remarkable achievements of the UN in diverse fields also indicate the serious challenges faced by the organisation, adding that the number of people living below the poverty line around the world and the number of countries lagging behind in terms of meeting Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) reflect the nature of problems confronted by the UN. He said climate change, HIV AIDS, human deprivation, and conflicts keep on reminding the international community that it needs to strengthen its resolve for the eradication of poverty, disease, deprivation, and violence.-PR
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