Statement by H.E. Ambassador Amir Said Iravani, Permanent Representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations for

Explanation of Vote after the vote on the adoption of the draft Resolution entitled

the Independent Institution on Missing Persons in the Syrian Arab (A/77/L.79)”

Before the United Nations General Assembly

New York, 29 June 2023

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

Mr. President,

At the outset, I would like to align my delegation with the statement delivered by the representative of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela on behalf of the Group of Friends in Defense of the Charter of the United Nations, and I would like to add the following points in my national capacity.

The Islamic Republic of Iran expresses its serious concern regarding the continued proliferation of country-specific mechanisms that claim to address the human rights situation in specific States, while their real intention is to weaponize human rights and humanitarian issues against sovereign States and national governments, with the purpose of meddling into their internal affairs. The insatiate appetite for the proliferation of country-specific mandates in pursuit of selective, politicized, and malign goals of certain actors undermines the cause of human rights. It has only contributed to division, distrust, and confrontation.

Moreover, the instrumentalization of the United Nations undermines its credibility as an international body established with the aim of protecting and promoting its prominent goals through dialogue and international cooperation based on the principles of non-selectivity, neutrality, and objectivity.

Mr. President;

The Islamic Republic of Iran shares its deepest sympathy with persons and families who were affected by the negative consequences of the long-lasting war and terrorism waged against the government and people of the Syrian Arab Republic by foreign hostile actors. Meanwhile, we regret that a humanitarian matter is being misused by Western governments for political objectives. The fact is that the Government of Syria, despite tough unilateral sanctions, continues to struggle with terrorism and foreign occupation. The government is striving to restore peaceful life in its liberated territories, return refugees, and recover the economy. However, the initiators of numerous anti-Syrian campaigns make no contribution to this process in any way.

Mr. President;

We regret that the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic was not consulted at any stage of the process of establishing of this mechanism by the UN bodies and the Members of the Core Group sponsoring this resolution, and given the fact that this mechanism is intended to work without the consent of the Syrian government, we believe that ignoring the national ownership principle not only violates and undermines the sovereignty of the country, but also limits the effectiveness and sustainability of any initiatives aimed at assisting the Syrian people.

The Syrian Government has not requested technical or legal assistance from the United Nations and has already rejected the establishment of such a body without its consent. We believe that if there is any genuine will to address the humanitarian situation in Syria, particular the issues related to missing persons, initiatives or any specific plan to intensify efforts, it must be conducted with the full consent and coordination of Damascus. Otherwise, it will be pointless and ineffective. We regret even that there are no references in this resolution to the importance of cooperation with the Government of Syria. We also share the concerns about squandering a significant amount of UN resources and budget on this ineffective mechanism.

Mr. President;

The Islamic Republic of Iran expresses its full commitment to tackling any humanitarian issue, including the issues of missing persons in Syria, within the proper, legitimate, and practical format. In this regard, we would continue to work with the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic and including through the relevant Working Group established under the Astana format as a very practical and legal means for addressing this issue. We are grateful to the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic for the work it has done so far to address the issues of missing persons, and in this regard, we encourage the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic to strengthen its cooperation with the International Committee of the Red Cross in consideration of the question related to missing persons. We encourage the finalization of a bilateral memorandum of understanding between the Syrian Government and ICRC.

My government further underlines that any effort to reveal the fate of the missing in Syria requires revealing the fate of the victims of the acts of aggression and atrocities committed by the so-called "International Coalition" and the crimes committed by armed terrorist organizations.

In conclusion, I would like to reiterate that in absence of the full respect for the sovereignty and independence of the Syrian Arab Republic as well as the full consent of its government, the Islamic Republic of Iran will not be able to support the initiative and will not recognize the legitimacy of work of such body. We stress that safeguarding the credibility of the United Nations necessitates the strong rejection of any attempts to manipulate it as a means to pursue narrow national political interests and agendas, under the guise of protecting human rights or addressing humanitarian situations.

I thank you, Mr. President.