Unilateral sanctions obstructing sustainable development in world: Iran UN envoy

Majid Takht-Ravanchi made the remarks at a UN Security Council high-level open debate on “maintaining international peace and security: exclusion, inequality and conflict” on Tuesday, stressing that the imposition of illegal US sanctions on the Iranian people “has caused serious consequences for the well-being of all segments of population.”

“Unilateral sanctions also prevent access of the affecting countries to their financial and developmental resources necessary for realization of the goals of the sustainable development,” he said.

“These unlawful acts, which have caused severe shortages in basic needs of the people, especially medicines and medical equipment needed for combating COVID-19, exacerbate economic hardships,” he added.

The Iranian diplomat further said providing humanitarian assistance to the people in need in conflict and post conflict situations “should in no way be politicized, conditional or discriminatory.”

He also noted that the international community and the UN “must assist conflict-affected countries, upon their request, through provision of tailored technical and financial supports to address the root causes of the conflicts properly and more effectively.”

Takht-Ravanchi further said “issues such as exclusion and inequality can act as potential drivers and aggravating factors for conflicts and weaken opportunities in achieving lasting peace in conflict-ridden countries.”

He also stated that prevention of conflicts is one of the main obligations set forth in the UN Charter which requires “coherence, sustained engagement, and coordination” among the UN’s main bodies, adding that in order to effectively fulfill this obligation, underlying causes such as foreign intervention and application of unilateral acts must also be considered and tackled.

“In this context, we emphasize that the Security Council must adhere to the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and should focus its efforts on any situation, which is likely to endanger the maintenance of international peace and security,” he said.