Statement by

H.E. Mrs. Zahra Ershadi

Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative

of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations

At the High-level Thematic Debate

on “Digital Cooperation and Connectivity”

New York, 27 April 2021

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

Mr. President,

Science and technology, including ICT, are essential tools to combat the current global health crisis. ICT has not only increased the public awareness about the pandemic in an unprecedented manner but has also played a significant role in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of interventions.  However, the existing gap between developed and developing countries, particularly in the digital realm, is a matter of serious concern.

There is an urgent need to overcome the existing digital divide and address the needs of countries, especially their immediate needs, during such difficult crisis. In this regard, the full implementation of the WSIS development provisions, which address the challenge of the digital divide confronting developing countries, is essential.  If such a divide cannot be bridged, it threatens the lives and wellbeing of peoples across the globe as rates of poverty, hunger, illiteracy and inequalities between and among countries increase.

Mr. President, 

To tackle a pandemic of this magnitude, our collective past experiences concerning such cases as HIV and EBOLA highlight the importance of ensuring an external conducive environment. In this context, means of implementation, including in the ICT frontier, are vital. Developed countries are expected to fulfill their commitments on the provisions of financial resources, transfer of technology, and capacity building; all without politicization. The United Nations also has a pivotal role to play in promoting cooperation and partnership at the international and regional levels.

Mr. President,

While the entire world, including my own Country, continues to grapple with the most devastating pandemic of the modern era, the unilateral coercive measures (UCMs) against several COVID-19 affected developing countries constitute a serious obstacle to combat the pandemic. The adverse consequences of such unilateral measures are far-reaching and severe. They particularly target ordinary citizens and their right to life and health without distinction. At the same time, such unlawful measures are completely contrary to digital equality and widen the digital divide between the countries under sanctions and the rest of the world. The call to put an end to these illegal sanctions by the international community, has yet to be answered.  

Mr. President

To ensure digital equality and close the existing widening gap among countries, discussions in the ICT areas should be guided by specific principles of international law, including state sovereignty, sovereign equality, non-intervention in the internal affairs of other countries, accountability of platforms and transnational corporations, application of ICTs exclusively for peaceful purpose and data protection and security, to help close digital disparities across countries. 

I thank you for your attention