Statement by

H.E. Mr. Majid Takht Ravanchi

Ambassador and Permanent Representative

of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations

At the Forty-fourth Annual Meeting of Ministers for Foreign Affairs

of the Group of 77 and China

New York, 12 November 2020

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

Mr. Chairman,

I would like to express my gratitude to the government of Guyana for its exemplary leadership of the Group of 77 and China. My appreciation also goes to the Secretariat of the Group for their devoted efforts in organizing this meeting.

Mr. Chairman,

The Islamic Republic of Iran highly values the key role that the Group of 77 and China could play in achieving the sustainable development goals. We reaffirm the deeply cherished principles and goals of the Group.

Mr. Chairman,

Multilateralism continues to come under intense pressure from many sides including through the perilous unilateralism. It will be of utmost importance to put policies and commitments in place to stop unilateralism, otherwise, all of us will have to suffer from  its catastrophic consequences.

The Islamic Republic of Iran believes that international crises and challenges, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and unilateralism, cannot be defeated without a genuine collective response encompassing the joint efforts of all countries. 

We all need to address and pay due attention to the impediments impairing national and international endeavors in the fight against COVID-19 pandemic. Based on the recent report of the Special Rapporteur on “the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of human rights”, the Unilateral Coercive Measures remain one of the most pressing challenges and hindrances in ensuring effective international cooperation in addressing the pandemic.

Furthermore, the Unilateral Coercive Measures imposed by the United States have grossly encroached upon the fundamental human rights of Iranian people, including the right to health as they have been denied access to vital medicines. The United States has shown no legal or ethical limit in the abuse of its economic power to the detriment of millions of innocent people around the world. It has deemed the situation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic as an opportunity to impose even more pressure on Iran, which has resulted in the death of thousands of Iranian people.

Mr. Chairman,

 The Islamic Republic of Iran reiterates that the immediate removal of Unilateral Coercive Measures is essential for the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals as well as in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. We call upon all countries to resist unilateralism and promote development-oriented policies that support sustainability as well as persevere the core values of multilateral decision-making.

I thank you