Pakistan told an event at the U.N. on Wednesday that “selectivity” in the condemnation of human rights violations was a factor in the rising geopolitical tensions, and called for a review of the current approach to advancing international peace and security.

“Today, people are talking about violations and human rights in one situation,” Ambassador Aamir Khan said in an obvious reference to the developments in Ukraine, but pointed out that “there is a deafening silence elsewhere in similar situations of violations of human rights, especially in Jammu and Kashmir and Palestine.”

Aamir Khan, who is the acting permanent representative of Pakistan to the UN, was speaking in a discussion, “From Words to Action: A global ceasefire beyond COVID-19 pandemic,” sponsored by the Permanent Mission of Malaysia to the UN.

“It’s unfortunate,” he said, “that there is an element of selectivity when it comes to the condemnation of the violation of human rights.

Other sources of the world’s geopolitical tensions, the Pakistani envoy said, were the failure of the international community to live up to the ideals of collective and cooperative security, as also that inequality was now embedded in the global political, economic and financial system in the post-1945 world order.

To deal with the situation, Ambassador Aamir Khan called for addressing the root causes of conflicts and disputes, saying the General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) have important roles in the process — especially a conflict between nuclear-armed states.

In this regard, he referred to the UN Charter’s Article 99 which empowers the Secretary-General to bring to the attention of the Security Council any matter which in his opinion may threaten the maintenance of international peace and security, as well as in resolving disputes.

On its part, Aamir Khan said the Security Council must utilize its primary authority under the Charter to secure the just and peaceful settlement of conflicts and disputes in accordance with its own resolutions and decisions.

Underlining the fact that fragile countries require development support to meet the basic needs of their people and prevent a reversion to social turmoil and conflict, he said that they require adequate financing to generate economic activity and overcome liquidity constraints.

“The freezing of the resources of countries coming out of conflict is particularly deplorable,” the Pakistani envoy said.

“It is a recipe for chaos and renewed conflict,” he added.