New york: The United Nations General Assembly has adopted a resolution with consensus renewing the global commitment to the principle of self-determination for peoples still subjected to colonial, foreign, and alien occupation.

According to Radio Pakistan, the resolution was co-sponsored by sixty-five countries and submitted by Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar. It was adopted without a vote in the General Assembly’s Third Committee, which addresses social, humanitarian, and cultural issues.

The resolution, championed by Pakistan since 1981, aims to highlight the ongoing struggles of peoples striving for their inalienable right to self-determination, notably those in regions such as Palestine and Kashmir.

In introducing the resolution, Asim Iftikhar Ahmad emphasized the plight of people living under foreign occupation who are denied this fundamental freedom. He highlighted that their legitimate aspirations often encounter excessive force, extrajudicial killings, arbitrary detentions, enforced disappearances, communication blockades, and demographic changes through illegal settlements.

The resolution called on the UN Human Rights Council to pay special attention to human rights violations, particularly the right to self-determination, arising from foreign military intervention, aggression, or occupation.