Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari addressed the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday, emphasizing that a monitoring mechanism should be established to track crimes against women and girls in territories under foreign occupation, including Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).).
The discussion, which Veronica Nataniel Macamo Dlhovu, the foreign minister of Mozambique, presided over, commemorated the 25th anniversary of Resolution 1325, which aims to advance women’s inclusion in conflict prevention.
Foreign occupying forces must be held accountable for the crimes and atrocities committed against women and girls, Bhutto Zardari emphasised. He pointed out that, as is the case in the occupied Palestinian territories and IIOJK, the goal of violence in situations involving foreign occupation is to subdue the civilian population.
In order to achieve the goals of the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda, he urged the world to address the severe aspect of the plight of women living under foreign occupation.
Bhutto Zardari urged de facto authorities to permit women to contribute to Afghan society by criticising the limitations placed on women and girls’ access to education and employment in Afghanistan. He emphasised the need for a plan to stop wars and conflicts, pointing out that women remained the main victims.
Bhutto Zardari will also preside over a conference on “Women in Islam” during his visit, which will take place in conjunction with the 67th Session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW). He applauded the adoption of national action plans by more than 90 nations worldwide, giving women and girls more power to respond to violence and conflict.
Later, during a media interview, Bhutto Zardari reaffirmed Pakistan’s ability to withstand hardships, including the current economic crisis. In order to combat misperceptions about human rights, particularly those of women and minorities, he also announced that Pakistan would host an event on Islamophobia from the platform of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Council of Foreign Ministers (OIC-CFM).
Bhutto Zardari’s speech concluded by emphasising the need for foreign occupation forces to be held accountable for acts of violence against women and girls. He emphasised the significance of a plan to stop wars and conflicts as well as the necessity of empowering women to deal with violence and conflict. Pakistan reaffirmed its commitment to advancing women’s rights and combating Islamophobia.
