Ambassador's Statement at UNSC: Security Councils Working Methods

The full text of the statement is as follows:

 

Statement by

H.E. Gholamhossein Darzi

Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative

of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations

Before the United Nations Security Council

Open Debate on “Implementation of the Note by the President of the

Security Council: Working Methods

 

In the Name of God, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful

 

Madam President,

The working methods of the Security Council are not merely procedural; they directly affect the Council’s credibility, legitimacy and effectiveness in maintaining international peace and security.

Iran supports efforts to make the Security Council more transparent, inclusive, efficient and accountable, consistent with the UN Charter and international law.

The adoption of Note 507 was an important step, but its value depends on consistent, impartial and good-faith implementation.

In this regard, I wish to emphasize the following points:

First, the Security Council must act strictly within the UN Charter and international law, respecting the sovereignty, political independence and territorial integrity of Member States. Its procedures must not be used to circumvent Charter principles or exceed the Council’s authority beyond its mandate.

Second, the Council’s authority must be exercised impartially and in the collective interest of maintaining international peace and security.

The Presidency carries a particular responsibility in this regard. Its procedural and agenda-setting authority must be exercised impartially and must never be used to advance the political interests of individual members or groups of States.

Third, Security Council meetings and procedures must not be exploited to promote politically motivated or unsubstantiated allegations against Member States or to provide political cover for unlawful acts. Procedural action cannot confer legitimacy on unsupported claims.

Fourth, measures under Chapter VII must have a clear legal basis, defined objectives and due consideration of their humanitarian and economic consequences. Procedural mechanisms must not become instruments for predetermined political outcomes.

Fifth, subsidiary bodies and mechanisms of the Security Council must operate strictly within their respective mandates and in full accordance with the UN Charter, and must not be abused to advance the political agendas of individual members. Their work must be guided by transparency, impartiality, objectivity, and accountability.

Sixth, the penholder system should be more transparent, inclusive and consultative. Penholders should engage meaningfully with all Council members, particularly elected members, as well as affected States and relevant regional actors. Greater sharing of penholding responsibilities should be applied to promote genuine consensus-building and to avoid rushed or non-consensual outcomes.

Madam. President,

Against this backdrop, the military aggression committed by the United States and the Israeli regime against Iran’s sovereignty and territorial integrity has once again exposed the politicization, double standards, and selective application of the Council’s rules and procedures.

The acts of aggression committed by the United States and the Israeli regime constitute flagrant violations of the UN Charter and fundamental principles of international law, including international humanitarian law, and have had serious consequences for regional and international peace and security.

While disregarding the root causes of the situation, the United States and certain other members have sought to instrumentalize the Council’s procedures and meetings to advance politically motivated allegations against Iran.

Yet, the Security Council has regrettably failed to fully discharge its responsibilities under the UN Charter to determine aggressors and the acts of aggression committed by the United States and Israeli regime and to take appropriate measures to prevent their recurrence, owing to the obstruction of a permanent member that is itself a party to the aggression.

Madam President,

Of equal concern is the continued abuse by France, the United Kingdom, and the United States of the Council’s procedures, meetings, and mechanisms to advance politically motivated narratives and allegations against Iran’s peaceful nuclear program.

This includes through their failed and legally unfounded attempt to invoke the so-called “snapback” mechanism under resolution 2231 (2015) while disregarding their own failures to uphold their commitments under resolution 2231 and the JCPOA.

In this context, I wish to reiterate, once again, Iran’s consistent and principled position that resolution 2231 (2015) expired definitively on 18 October 2025.

All measures, mandates, reporting requirements and mechanisms established under it ceased to have legal effect.

Iran therefore does not recognize any purported measures or mechanisms derived from resolution 2231, nor any legal basis for further reporting or meetings concerning its implementation under the agenda item “Non-Proliferation.”

Any attempt to do so constitutes a blatant abuse of the authority and procedures of the Security Council.

To conclude, Madam President, improving the Council’s working methods requires more than adopting procedural language. It requires the consistent, impartial and good-faith application of its rules and practices.

I thank you, Madam President.