Statement by

H.E. Ms. Zahra Ershadi

Ambassador and Chargé d’affaires ad interim

of the Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations

Before the United Nations Security Council

On “United Nations peacekeeping operations:

Protecting the protectors: technology and peacekeeping”

New York, 18 August 2021

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

Mr. President,

The United Nations Peacekeeping Operations has been a vital tool for the fulfillment of the very first and yet the most important purpose of the Organization, namely “to maintain international peace and security, and to that end: to take effective collective measures for the prevention and removal of threats to the peace, and for the suppression of acts of aggression or other breaches of the peace”.

Despite all its challenges, the use of this tool needs to be continued and also further improved to ensure that peacekeeping operations keep pace with the changing complex nature of peace and security context.

In this context, we emphasize the unique and crucial role of the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations as the only United Nations forum mandated by the General Assembly to review comprehensively the whole question of United Nations Peacekeeping Operations in all their aspects.

We also underline that the establishment of any peacekeeping operation or extension of mandate of existing ones or their improvement must be in full conformity with the principles set forth in the United Nations Charter as well as the basic principles that have developed to govern such operations.

To that end, special attention must be paid to the full respect for the principles of sovereign equality, political independence and territorial integrity of all States and non-intervention in matters that are essentially within their domestic jurisdiction, as well as impartiality, the consent of the parties, and the non-use of force except in self-defense and defense of the mandate.

Iran continues to support the implementation of Declaration of Shared Commitments on UN Peacekeeping Operations which aims at ensuring collective efforts to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the United Nations Peacekeeping in order to address urgent challenges facing contemporary peacekeeping operations.

we emphasize that policy formulation and decision-making process in all stages of peacekeeping operations including with respect to protecting the peacekeeping forces must be conducted with the active participation of Troop and Police Contributing Countries.

The use of modern technologies should aim at increasing safety and security of the United Nations personnel, including the peacekeepers. At the same time, their use must be considered on a case-by-case basis and must uphold the principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, particularly the respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity of Member States, and also the fundamental principles of peacekeeping, especially the consent of the host State.

We also stress the importance of defining the legal, operational, technical and financial aspects related to the use of modern technology, in an inclusive and transparent manner, in appropriate intergovernmental processes. At any rate, any and all information gathered through advanced technological means must be used exclusively for the fulfilment of the clearly defined mandates of the operation concerned.    

The Islamic Republic of Iran has hosted one peacekeeping operation of the United Nations for more than 10 years after the end of the 8-year war imposed as a result of Saddam’s aggression against Iran. Likewise, to date, Iranian forces have participated in eight peacekeeping operations of the United Nations and four Iranian citizens have lost their lives in such operations. We stand ready to further contribute to the peacekeeping operations logistically and militarily, by deploying troops, military observers, police and civilians.

I thank you, Mr. President.