Message by H. E. Ambassador Majid Takht Ravanchi
Permanent Representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations
On the commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the signing of the UN Charter
New York, 26 June 2020
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In the Name of God, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful,
The reason behind the Charter’s continued validity lies in its acknowledgment of such inherent and everlasting values as “justice”, “equality”, “the dignity and worth of the human person” and “the rule of law” as well as the essential principles like “friendly relations”, “pacific settlement of disputes”, “the prohibition of the threat or use of force” and “non-interference in domestic affairs of States” along with noble objectives such as “international cooperation in solving international problems” and “employing international machinery for the advancement of all peoples”. Even the Charter’s selective and partial implementation in the past 75 years has led to averting another world war, catalyzing decolonialization of many nations, promoting fundamental human rights, gaining many social, cultural and economic achievements, codification and progressive development of international law, as well as developing many international instruments and institutions that form the foundations of current international system.
However, the international system, particularly due to failure in Charter’s full and effective implementation, is now facing serious challenges, and as the Secretary-General rightly puts it, the “world order is increasingly chaotic”; “democratic principles are under siege”; “the rule of law is being undermined”; and “multilateralism is under fire precisely when we need it most”. Certain tangible indicators of this situation are: the systematic unlawful use of force by certain States and their interference in domestic affairs of States including for regime change; the systematic imposition of unlawful unilateral sanctions even during global challenges like pandemics; frequent withdrawal from international instruments and institutions, increasing poverty and hunger, widening inequality, climate change hazards, pandemic diseases, and above all, the new nuclear arms race and extensive nuclear modernization that, by increasing the possibility of using such horrific weapons, constitute an existential threat to humanity as a whole. The only option to stop and revert this alarming trend of regression from a rules-based multilateralism into a power-based unilateralism is to invest strong genuine political will by all States to reinvigorate their commitments to true multilateralism founded on inclusion instead of exclusion, cooperation in place of confrontation, and rule of law instead of rule of power. This means restoring faith in the eternal values, aspirational ideals, noble purposes and cardinal principles enshrined in the Charter; in short “reviving the Charter’s spirit” and “ensuring its full and effective implementation” by all States. We owe it to ourselves and future generations who will have to live with the consequences of our action and inaction. Therefore, let’s fulfill this collective responsibility responsibly.