Statement by

H.E. Ms. Zahra Ershadi

Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative

of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations

On Human rights situations and reports of special rapporteurs and representatives

Before the third Committee, UNGA 77

New York, 16 November 2022

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

Mr. Chair,

First and foremost, the Islamic Republic of Iran categorically rejects and strongly condemns the draft resolution L-34 on the so-called situation of human rights in Iran in its entirety, which was drafted based on the Special Rapporteur’s flawed report, defective findings, and biased behavior.

Mr. Chair,

The sponsors of the resolution, who claim to be championing human rights in Iran, have a long record of blatant hypocrisy, double standards, and instrumentalization of human rights for their short-sighted agendas; and none of them are morally fit to preach on Iranians’ human rights, as their actions contradict their words.

Looking simply at the resolution’s main sponsors, it appears that the criminal partners have reunited to make another display of sympathy for individuals whose rights they have violated. Such claims are obviously hypocritical, and the sponsors of the resolution were never truly worried about human rights in Iran.

Let us be clear: some of those who pretend to protect human rights should be reminded of their own crimes so that they do not forget their true face.

Those involved include Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, the Israeli regime, and Germany. Of course, this comes as no surprise to us.

One thing they all have in common is brutality, callousness, arbitrary killing, genocide, and ethnic cleansing.

They have vowed to use all of their resources, including disseminating misleading and false information, inciting public opinion, providing training on subversive actions, as well as financial and military support to terrorist groups, in order to morph peaceful protests into acts of violence under the guise of protection of women’s rights.

In Canada, the discovery of more than 1,300 unmarked graves at four residential schools has shocked the whole international community. You witness the systematic rape, murder, and killing of indigenous children on a large scale. The story with the so-called land of the free does not end here! Having turned into a safe haven for criminals, Canada has consistently refused to uphold its international obligation under the UN Convention Against Corruption to extradite those who’ve perpetrated crimes against the fundamental human rights of the Iranian people with impunity. It is indeed the land of the free, but only for the fugitive criminals!

The U.S. claims as such, even though Iranians continue to suffer severely as a result of the U.S.’ decades-long cruel sanctions; a genuine war in which actual violence is replaced with food and medicine. Accordingly, it has been standard practice for the United States to abuse such valued concepts as human rights to pursue its illegitimate political agenda.

The United Kingdom, a so-called human rights champion, has a barbaric policy that caused millions of Iranians to perish during the Great Famine in 1919, and now discriminates against migrants and refugees based exclusively on their ethnicity, color, and religion, sending those who are not white or of the same ethnic type as Europeans to Rwanda.

The United States and the United Kingdom have never been concerned about the Iranian people. Back in 1953, Washington overthrew the then-popularly elected government in Iran in collusion with London. You might enquire about the reason as to know why they decided to stage a coup d’état. Well, they were just outraged by the Iranian people's successful struggle to nationalize the oil industry.

Then you have Germany, which armed and supplied Saddam Hussein’s dictatorship with chemical weapons of mass destruction to slaughter people in Iran, the majority of whom were women and children. Germany is responsible for the loss of lives as a result of its major contribution to war crimes, and it will have to compensate victims and their families for the devastating and long-lasting consequences.

Nobody can deny the bulk of violence and war crimes committed by Israel's occupying and apartheid regime against the Palestinian people. This rogue regime has persisted with its oppressive, apartheid policies and systemic violations of Palestinians’ human rights by murdering defenseless civilians, including women and children, plundering and destroying their property, and forcefully displacing them from their homes.

Mr. Chair,

The history and culture of Iranian territory are rich in basics and concepts emphasizing the importance of human rights for all Iranians.

The Islamic Republic of Iran is neither an island surrounded by sea that must colonize other nations to survive nor was it discovered coincidentally by a pirate, or falsely claimed to be a genuine entity using a fake identity.

Iran is home to one of the world's oldest, most significant, and longest-lasting civilizations, dating back more than seven thousand years. That is why we, the Iranian people, particularly women and girls, will not succumb to coercion and intimidation.

The fact that Iranian women and girls are intelligent, well-educated, dedicated, and patriotic, and they are fully aware of their rights. They also know how to peacefully and constructively interact with the government in order to advance their demands. They are the spouses, daughters, and sisters of those who sacrificed their lives in defense of Iran and stood up to all countries that had a key part in and contributed to the eight-year imposed war on Iran. Therefore, there is no need for western countries to advocate on behalf of Iranian women and serve as their soi-disant protectors.

Mr. chair,

Distinguished delegates,

We believe that genuine international cooperation and strict adherence to the principles of objectivity, impartiality, and non-selectivity are the best way forward for the effective promotion and protection of all human rights.

The Islamic Republic of Iran remains steadfastly committed to future international efforts for the genuine promotion and protection of human rights and maintains constructive cooperation with Human Rights Mechanisms, including the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

To conclude, Mr. Chair, I would like to request a recorded vote on the draft resolution L-34 in the hope that the delegates here today would choose the correct path and say NO to the politicization of human rights.

I thank you.