Pakistan kills voice of Africans in the United Nations

8^th June 2015, New York, United Nations

 

The United Nations, considered as the epitome and champion of human rights, has shown belligerence at the behest of Pakistan, a nation that cannot even guard the basic human rights of its own citizens. This obnoxious behaviour was evident during the recent Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) session held in June 2015, where it objected to statements voiced from Africa.

The two NGOs, ‘African Technological Development Link’ and ‘African Technical Association’ both hailing from Africa were in a letter by the Pakistani Mission described as if belonging to ‘lesser human beings’, blaming the entire continent of Africa and their origins as if they hailed form some other planet. Having strongly voiced the human rights violations in Baluchistan and Gilgit-Baltistan, which is an undeniable fact, and even recognised by the Pakistani Human Rights Commission, the Pakistani Government through its representation in New York has tried to suppress the voice of the oppressed. 

 

The two African NGOs were accused of making statements on the Baluchistan Province and other areas in Pakistan, which used ‘language not authorized in the UN’. The fact that the two African NGOs were stripped off their Consultative status following Pakistan’s intense lobbying with the NGO Committee of the UN Human Rights Council and other countries by putting it to a vote, it has shown total disregard for human values and exhibited racial bias, for which the country itself needs to be delisted from the United Nations.

 

Having succeeded in removing the two NGOs at short notice (within two days), also clearly amplifies the connivance between the NGO Committee of the UNHRC and the Pakistani Mission. Since there was not adequate time to respond to the queries raised, the Pakistani Mission citing ECOSOC Resolution 1996/31 and ‘politically motivated’ acts got what it wanted.  The move has been criticised by none other than the US, so, we hope the UN is hearing.

 

To uphold the spirit of the United Nations, it is earnestly requested that the NGO Committee of the UNHRC be revamped and no more be influenced by Pakistan. The very spirit with which the NGOs are put on the roster is defeated, and the voice of the poor and deprived will remain unheard.

 

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Pierce Richards

New York, USA
Freelance Journalist

pierce.richards.reporter@gmail.com