Excerpt from a write-up based on a recent speech by Mushtaq A. Jeelani - Peace and Justice Forum (PJF)

Toronto – October 28, 2011: On the occasion of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Perth, Australia (October 28-30), Peace and Justice Forum (PJF) has urged the Commonwealth leaders’ help to enable the Kashmiri people to exercise their right to self-determination.


- Mr Jeelani underlined that the right to self-determination is the cornerstone of the United Nations system that underpins the contemporary international order. Its unquestioned acceptance has been established by core international instruments including the Charter of the United Nations, the two Covenants on Civil and Political and Economic, Social and Cultural rights and the declaration adopted by General Assembly resolution 1514.


- The Executive Director warned the leaders that the failure of the Commonwealth to address the unresolved issue of Kashmir would be making a mockery of the Harare and Singapore Declarations and point to institutional weaknesses in the Commonwealth’s capacity to promote and protect human rights.

Excerpt from a write-up based on a recent speech by Mushtaq A. Jeelani - Peace and Justice Forum (PJF)