Statement by
H.E. Mr. Majid Takht Ravanchi
Ambassador and Permanent Representative
of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations
Before the extraordinary meeting of the CoB-NAM at the ambassadorial level
On the situation in the Cuba
New York, 21 July 2021
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful.
At the outset, I would like to thank the Chairman of the Non-Aligned Movement for organizing this timely and important meeting.
For more than six decades, the US Administration's illegal policies and practices toward Cuba have been unequivocally hostile, coercive, destabilizing and provocative in nature thus constituting a flagrant violation of the fundamental norms and principles of international law, particularly the Charter of the United Nations. These measures, which seriously undermine both human rights and democracy, are deliberately aimed at securing the US’ narrow national interests.
And now, as part of its economic warfare and policy of maximum pressure on Cuba, the US is blatantly orchestrating and financing a political and communicational operation against one member of our Movement, namely Cuba. The Islamic Republic of Iran expresses its firm and unwavering support for and solidarity with the People and Government of Cuba in their struggle against these unlawful policies and practices perpetrated by the US.
US’s unilateral coercive measures against members of our Movement continue to severely violate the norms and principles of international law, including the Charter of the United Nations. For decades, the United States has enforced multiple sanctions regimes, even amid the tragic conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic, imposing devastating hardships and suffering on a number of countries of the Non-aligned Movement.
It has accelerated its pace in the form of resorting to more severe trade sanctions, financial restrictions, freezing of assets, travel bans and other measures in order to weaken nations' determination and independence. Along with other targeted nations, Iran’s case, in particular, vividly demonstrates the cruel nature of the coercive measures imposed on the Iranian nation by the US Government over the last 40 years.
We are of the view that our Movement, as the champion in defending the principles of non-intervention, the right to self-determination and sovereign equality of States should speak out against these measures and enhance its efforts in combatting unilateral coercive measures by strengthening multilateralism and worldwide collaboration.
It is imperative that we find better ways to act decisively and deny the US any perceived benefit from its unlawful actions and reject any pressure it brings to bear on others to violate international law and United Nations resolutions.