‘Right of self-determination’: UNGA adopts Pakistan-sponsored resolution

ISLAMABAD: The United Nations General Assembly has adopted, by consensus, the Pakistan-sponsored resolution entitled “Universal Realisation of the Right of Peoples to Self-Determination” during its 80th session in New York.

A press release issued by the Foreign Office on Friday said that, as in the past, the resolution once again enjoyed broad international support, with co-sponsorship from the member states representing all geographical regions.

The resolution, adopted on Thursday, reaffirms the inalienable right of peoples subjected to colonialism, foreign occupation, and alien domination to freely determine their political status and pursue their economic, social, and cultural development. It underscores the continued relevance of this fundamental principle of international law in contemporary situations of occupation, including the plight of the people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) and Palestine.

By reaffirming the universal and enduring nature of the right to self-determination, the General Assembly has once again emphasised its applicability in situations where peoples remain deprived of this right. The adoption of the resolution by consensus reflects the shared commitment of the international community to uphold the principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, relevant UN resolutions and established norms of international law, including the two Covenants on Civil and Political Rights and Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

This annual resolution serves as an important expression of international solidarity with peoples striving to exercise their legitimate right to self-determination. For the people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, it reinforces international attention to their just cause and their legitimate aspirations for dignity and freedom, in the fulfilment of the relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025