Indus Waters Treaty Suspension: India-Pakistan Ambassadors Spar at UN

Asianet News English

India and Pakistan ambassadors clashed sharply at the United Nations over India’s suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, accusing each other of violating diplomatic norms and regional peace. The Indian envoy defended the suspension as a necessary response to Pakistan’s alleged support of cross-border terrorism and acts of aggression.&nbsp;

Transcript

00:00My delegation welcomes the Special Rapporteur and thanks him for presenting his report.

00:05We concur that difficulties in upholding the right to drinking water are not the result

00:09of technical or resource constraints, but a consequence of inequalities within and across

00:14countries.

00:15Yet another factor is the instrumentalization of water flows in truss-boundary rivers for

00:19geopolitical motives.

00:21In our region, the decision by an upper riparian state to obstruct flows of water in contravention

00:26of the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 threatens to have dire consequences for people living

00:31downstream in Pakistan.

00:33In addition to their rights to water and sanitation, the rights of evil in Pakistan to food and

00:37environment, among others, are also directly threatened.

00:40At a time when climate change-induced floods are wreaking havoc, agreements that ensure predictable

00:46water flows and exchange of hydrological data are ever more important.

00:50States cannot abdicate their responsibility under customary international norms of truss-boundary

00:56water use, such as the duty to coordinate, avoid significant harm, and peacefully settle

01:01differences.

01:02Mr. Special Rapporteur, Pakistan sees merit in your call for regional cooperation for climate

01:07change adaptation.

01:08It is equally important to emphasize the need for faithful implementation of truss-boundary

01:12water cooperation agreements.

01:15International cooperation should continue to govern the management of shared water resources.

01:20We would welcome your insights on human rights responses to ensure these guardrails are

01:24not breached.

01:25We are compelled to express our deep concern over the persistent and deliberate attempts

01:29by a particular delegation to politicize the proceedings of this Council.

01:34Such actions not only undermine the integrity of this platform, but also seek to deflect attention

01:39from other core issues.

01:41The Ender Water Treaty, signed in 1960, was concluded in a spirit of goodwill and friendship,

01:47but the world of 1960 is not the world of today.

01:50The grim reality of relentless state-sponsored cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan

01:56fundamentally erodes the environment required for honouring treaty obligations.

02:01Mr. Vice President, the escalating impact of climate change, advancements in technology,

02:06and the growing imperative for sustainable clean energy compel a serious re-evaluation of

02:11the treaty's relevance and applicability in today's context.

02:15Mr. Vice President, a party that consistently and willfully violates the core tenets of a treaty

02:20should not accuse others of non-compliance.

02:22The Council must not allow itself to be used as a platform for diversion and distortion.

02:27It must instead recognize that lasting cooperation is rooted in trust, not terror.

02:31My delegation welcomes the Special Rapporteur and thanks him for presenting his report.

02:36We concur that difficulties in upholding the right to drinking water are not the result

02:41of technical or resource constraints, but a consequence of inequalities within and across

02:45countries.

02:46Yet another factor is the instrumentalization of water flows in trust-boundary rivers for

02:50geopolitical motives.

02:52In our region, the decision by an upper riparian state to obstruct flows of water in contravention

02:57of the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 threatens to have dire consequences for people living

03:02downstream in Pakistan.

03:04In addition to their rights to water and sanitation, the rights of evil in Pakistan to food and

03:09environment, among others, are also directly threatened.

03:12At a time when climate change-induced floods are wreaking havoc, agreements that ensure predictable

03:17water flows and exchange of hydrological data are ever more important.

03:22States cannot abdicate their responsibility under customary international norms of trust-boundary

03:27water use, such as the duty to coordinate, avoid significant harm, and peacefully settle

03:32differences.

03:34Mr. Special Rapporteur, Pakistan sees merit in your call for regional cooperation for climate

03:38change adaptation.

03:40It is equally important to emphasize the need for faithful implementation of trans-boundary

03:44water cooperation agreements.

03:46International cooperation should continue to govern the management of shared water resources.

03:51We would welcome your insights on human rights responses to ensure these guardrails are

03:55not breached.

03:56We are compelled to express our deep concern over the persistent and deliberate attempts

04:00by a particular delegation to politicize the proceedings of this Council.

04:05Such actions not only undermine the integrity of this platform, but also seek to deflect attention

04:11from other core issues.

04:13The Ender Water Treaty, signed in 1960, was concluded in a spirit of goodwill and friendship,

04:18but the world of 1960 is not the world of today.

04:21The grim reality of relentless state-sponsored cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan

04:27fundamentally erodes the environment required for honouring treaty obligations.

04:31Mr. Vice President, the escalating impact of climate change, advancements in technology, and the growing imperative for sustainable clean energy

04:40compel a serious reevaluation of the treaty's relevance and applicability in today's context.

04:45Mr. Vice President, a party that consistently and willfully violates the core tenets of a treaty should not accuse others of non-compliance.

04:55The capital must not allow itself to be used as a platform for diversion and distortion.

04:59It must instead recognize that lasting cooperation is rooted in trust, not terror.

05:03Mr. Vice President, a party that can be called for removal.

05:13Mr. Vice President, a party that Jeep has no longer been included in the Carry Cup to take place of place in the modern regional building,

05:18Mr. Vice President, the siege of the seventeen conservation of the city of New Jersey and the town one of the

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