Debate
The General debate of the seventieth session of the United Nations General Assembly commenced on 28 September and ended on 3 October 2015. Leaders from a number of member states addressed the UNGA.
Organisation and subjects.
The order of speakers is given first to member states, then observer states and supranational bodies. Any other observers entities will have a chance to speak at the end of the debate, if they so choose. Speakers will be put on the list in the order of their request, with special consideration for ministers and other government officials of similar or higher rank. According to the rules in place for the General Debate, the statements should be in of the United Nations official languages of Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian or Spanish, and will be translated by the United Nations translators. Each speaker is requested to provide 20 advance copies of their statements to the conference officers to facilitate translation and to be presented at the podium. Though there is no time limit for speeches, a voluntary guideline of 15 minutes is requested. The chosen theme for the debate is "The United Nations at 70: the road ahead for peace, security and human rights."
Speaking schedule.
The rest of the speaking schedule in the General Assembly Chamber is as follows:
30 September.
Right of Reply.
Member states have the option to reply to comments on the day (or even to the days prior), but are limited to 10 minutes for the first response and five minutes for the second response. All speeches are made from the floor, as opposed to the podium for the General Debate.
India responded to Pakistan saying that it was regrettable to once again choose to "misuse the UNGA to distort reality and portray a false sense of a picture in our region." According to them, Pakistan claims to be the primary victim of terrorism but "in truth it is the victim of its own policies of breeding and sponsoring terrorists" and that the Kashmir conflict issue carries no credibility with the world. They further agreed that Kashmir is under foreign occupation, but by Pakistan in Azad Kashmir. They also alleged that "in fact reservation of the Pakistan-China corridor goes through Indian territory illegally occupied by Pakistan" and that they deeply regret the Kashmir is unresolved and dialogue has not progressed due to Pakistan's apparent disregard for the 1972 Shimla Agreement, the 2004 declaration against terrorism and the 2015 prime ministerial meeting on the sidelines of the 7th BRICS summit in Ufa, Russia. They further claimed that India is open to engage Pakistan on outstanding issues but in an atmosphere "free of terrorism and violence." In reference to the firing incidents on the LC, "an international boundary, the world knows that the primary reason is to provide cover to terrorists crossing the border. It is not uncommon for states with serious challenges to shift blame to others as did Pakistan did with terrorism. An inability to recognise it as a homegrown problem that bites the hand that fed it. Terrorism has underlying causes the same way as the poverty of ignorance has underlying causes." In using "terror as a legitimate instrument of statecraft...the world watches as consequences spread beyond the neighbourhood." India was "willing to help if the monster wakes up to itself."
Armenia responded to Azerbaijan in saying that they were forced to take floor based on accusations by the minister of Azerbaijan. The delegate suggested that it felt like one "ever had a conversation that you realise you had before. Talked to someone and you know what's coming before you you've heard it. This moment is surreal cause you feel deja vu. The same accusations are constant. On the hundred-and-fiftieth anniversary of Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking Glass the statement was from that fairy tale that everything was vice versa, confusing, upside down, the case of the best defense is good offense was a problem with short term memory. The Azeri minister is not too young to remember what happened 20 or 25 years ago." They went on to say that Azerbaijan initiated war against Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh (NKO). Further there was no one to write this in the country as there is no free speech and that those who are willing to write the truth are immediately arrested. In regards to a Committee on Missing Persons, before coming to this New York meeting the ICRC arranged a meeting between the two countries' committees, which Armenia apparently repeatedly requested for 10 years. Yet the constant reply, despite the ICRC was that Azerbaijan refuses to meet and again showed that what they say was "again all upside down." They said that Azeri President Ilham Aliyev calling Armenia, including Yerevan, its own land is simply appalling. They suggested Azeri writers look at maps of ancient and Soviet times including the claim that Noah was of Azeri origin. Instead of threatening the possibility of war it is incumbent to note that Azerbaijan initiated and lost the Nagorno-Karabakh War. It would be more useful to think of negotiations on compromises. There were also mujahedeen fighting for Azerbaijan against Armenia that were killing innocent civilians; further, they may not be aware of Azeri fighters for ISIS who, every now and again, appear on the border with NKO. If Azerbaijan wanted peace, then they should allow international observers on the Line of Contact to see who is responsible for ceasefire violations. Since Armenia is willing for this to occur, it says a lot. "Nagorno-Karabakh will be part of Azerbaijan" regardless of how many times it is repeated. In regards to Turkey, Armenia is "determined to continue towards a peaceful resolution on the basis of territorial integrity." Armenia further asks what of right to self-determination and that no solution could be one-sided, biased or have a pre-judged approach.
Azeribaijan then replied that it was "regrettable to take the floor so late (21:44)" but that Armenia was limited to entertain the chamber with fairy tales. As for history, "of course we appreciate history in our region. An hundred years ago Armenia was a vibrant multi-ethnic area and Armenians were a minority even in Yerevan. [Since then] half the population left, so Armenia has no right to speak of human rights [as] all major human rights activists fled, including those to Azerbaijan. Recently one came to Azerbaijan. The European Court of Human Rights, whose jurisdiction Armenia voluntary accepted, and many others international organisations in addition to the UN, such as NAM ruled in favour of Azerbaijan. The president of Armenia admitted to occupying Azeri territory. As for terrorism, Armenia is the only state that venerates convicted terrorists and receives them at the highest level including by the prime minister. Contrarily Azerbaijan is not against an investigation to bring forth the truth. In fact, it has been pressing for an investigation of all violations of international law, including war crimes, crimes against humanity and crimes against peace." However, they added that this was in the interest of the "military junta of Armenia led by war criminals. It is in the best interest of Armenia and the people of Armenia if the government does not partake in aggression and [instead] good relations with neighbours and the prosperity of its own people."
Armenia then used its second Right of Reply in saying that it was "hard to argue with words that don't make sense and are surprisingly harassing." They called on the presidency of the UNGA to stop or be able to interrupt the meetings which are accusing the leadership of a neighbouring country or any country of incriminating accusations but basically, and first and foremost, this was a reminder that the delegate represents Armenia, the "home to 12 national minorities who live happily and peacefully in Armenia." While it was no kin state, everyone had the same rights and privileges of Armenian citizens. Further, there was no Armenian national residing in Azerbaijan or Baku, a town populated by Russians and Jews and a city where the oil industry started now has no Armenians. After the dissolution of the USSR, NKO declared independence and was a home to ethnic Armenians for those who fled massacres in Baku. The only mandate of an international organization that was a real mandate to negotiate a settlement is the OSCE Minsk Group chaired by Russia, France and the U.S.A. was doing a wonderful job mediating very hard amongst the parties to find a solution on principles of international law. Accordingly, this had to be in line with the principles of self-determination and territorial integrity by the non-use of force and the non-use of threat of force, not to engage in counter offensives but instead sincere negotiations if there was a real interest in finding solutions and not a militaristic policy.
Azerbaijan then finished its Right of Reply saying that the second statement from Armenia was again "full of distortions and outright lies and against the spirit of the General Debate at the UN." They referred to the official statistics of Armenia which apparently suggested the population is 99.9% of one titular nation (the delegate sarcastically laughed) which had been achieved through "ethnic cleansing," which was the Azeri point. Azerbaijan supports the withdrawal of all "illegal armed formations from its territory and all foreign military unlawfully stationed in the territory of Azerbaijan. It would be more appropriate if the representative of Armenia did not misinterpret the substance of the peace process and the proposals of the Minsk Group. The Armenian representative trying to misinterpret is not reality, including the OSCE's principle set for the territorial integrity of states. At any rate, it is in the best interest of the UN and the international community if the illegal use of force is terminated and good neighbourly regions in our region could be [a] reality."
1 October.
Right of Reply.
Pakistan responded to India's reply from the previous day in saying that India's attempts to "deny the illegal occupation of Jammu and Kashmir is a travesty to history. India deployed over 700,000 forces and is the only occupier which would oppose the UNGA resolution calling for the self-determination. There have been [over] 100,000 Kashmiris killed, hundreds of women are widows or have been raped, children too, in the state terrorism by India. There are over 6,000 mass graves in Indian-occupied Kashmir. If India has respect for international law, it would withdraw troops and let Kashmiris decide their future in accordance with a UN mandated plebiscite to determine their future. Numerous resolutions declare that the final disposition of Jammu and Kashmir be in accordance of the will of the people by a free and impartial plebiscite by impartial the auspices of the UN. This cannot be cast aside by rhetoric, on top of talks between India and Pakistan in accordance with UNSC resolutions. It is the genius of India to oppose peace initiatives proclaimed by the Pakistani prime minister here. [Instead] India puts preconditions on a one-point agenda process and is not interested in genuine dialogue. Pakistan is, however committed. Using the bogey of terrorism obfuscates the issue. Pakistan takes part in the fight against terrorism and the world is aware except India. India is insensitive and India masks support of terrorism in Pakistan. India fails to bring the perpetrators to justice such as in the Samjhauta bombings." Pakistan also cited a swami accused of terrorism against Muslims and the "sad story of massacre of Muslims in Gujarat, fomenting terrorism in Pakistan including in Balochistan and Karachi, security and intelligence links especially with the Taliban in FATA. Yet, they said, despite India's "hostile attitude" Pakistan supports dialogue between the two countries and remains steadfast in pursuing such initiatives, in accordance with the new prime minister taking office two years ago. They hoped India responds to the "cherishes of our peoples."
Iran then responded to calling the "Israeli regime's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's smokescreen to hide his crimes against the Palestinian people. [He] allocated major parts of speech to attack all members of international community for supporting the JCPOA. Je and his cronies are expected to continue basking by keeping everyone [else] busy with phony issues." They then asked: Why keep Palestinians under occupation? "The Israeli regime gives ISIS support in Syria (amidst the Syrian civil war) and keeps tensions high in the region. They keep tensions rising because peace and stability is