Explanation of Vote by Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad,
Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the UN,
Question of Palestine – Item 35
Draft resolution on Endorsement of the New York Declaration on the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the implementation of the Two-State Solution
(12 September 2025)
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Madam President,
Pakistan has voted in favour of the resolution just adopted. In doing so, we reaffirm our long-standing and principled position on the Question of Palestine, based on the inalienable right of the Palestinian people to self-determination and the establishment of an independent, viable, and contiguous state of Palestine, on the basis of pre-1967 borders with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital, in accordance with the relevant resolution of the United Nations and international legitimacy.
2. Pakistan has, without prejudice to its long-standing and principled position on the Question of Palestine, endorsed the Outcome Document entitled “New York Declaration on the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution,” of the High-Level International Conference convened in New York from 28 to 30 July 2025. This endorsement reflects Pakistan’s consistent commitment to the realization of a just and lasting peace.
3. Pakistan strongly condemns the ongoing Israeli aggression in Gaza, which has claimed the lives of over 64,000 people. The relentless destruction of homes, schools, hospitals, and other civilian infrastructure constitutes a grave violation of international humanitarian law and has inflicted untold suffering on the Palestinian people. Equally alarming are the continued attempts by the occupier to expand illegal settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, in flagrant defiance of international law and relevant Security Council resolutions. These actions not only exacerbate the humanitarian catastrophe but are also an attempt to undermine the prospects for a two-State solution. Israeli illegal actions are blatant violations of international law across the Middle East are endangering international peace and security in the region. It must not escape accountability.
4. Pakistan calls for an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire across Gaza and all occupied Palestinian Territories; a full and unimpeded humanitarian access to the besieged and starved Palestinian population. Lasting peace requires a credible political horizon – one grounded in international law. For this, the occupation must end. For that is the actual root cause of instability in the Middle East.
5. The convening of the International Conference on the two-State solution, co-chaired by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the French Republic was a timely and necessary initiative to generate renewed momentum and to translate international commitments into concrete actions, advancing the long-overdue realization of the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination and statehood. It must be followed by concrete, and coordinated international action to finally achieve the long coveted peace and stability in the Middle East.
I thank you