Statement by
H.E. Mr. Majid Takht Ravanchi
Ambassador and Permanent Representative
of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations
On “maintenance of international peace and security: security in the context of terrorism and climate change”
Before the United Nations Security Council
New York, 9 December 2021
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful.
Mr. President,
Today, the international community faces pressing challenges related to terrorism and climate change.
The United Nations, through its numerous resolutions, has repeatedly reaffirmed that terrorism is one of the most serious threats to international peace and security and that the primary responsibility to combat this threat rests with the Member States.
The Islamic Republic of Iran remains committed to its international obligations and continues its efforts to effectively prevent and combat terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.
Combating terrorism must be carried out in accordance with the United Nations Charter and international law, and ensuring full respect for the principles of independence and sovereign equality of States and non-interference in their domestic affairs.
The negative effects of climate change and their consequences on well-being of nations are undeniable. They become severe when other underlying factors in conflict-ridden countries come into play.
Addressing such challenges requires a systematic and coordinated response by all Member States. We share the views that the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is the most appropriate platform for such coordinated response.
The Islamic Republic of Iran has taken significant steps to address and mitigate the negative impacts of climate change.
Nevertheless, the imposition of unlawful sanctions of the United States against Iran in flagrant infringement of the basic principles of international law, has not only prevented our access to much needed financial resources and technological means to tackle challenges associated with climate change, but has also adversely affected our national capacities to carry out our respective undertakings in this regard.
While terrorism, as a serious criminal offence, constitutes a serious threat to international peace and security, climate change is essentially a development issue and there is no scientific evidence establishing a direct link between climate change and international peace and security. Accordingly, the challenges of climate change should be addressed within the context of sustainable development.
At the same time, in certain conflict situations, the impacts of climate change might create conducive environment for terrorist groups to exploit the situation and recruit vulnerable people for their sinister terrorist purposes. We need to be extremely cautious about establishing a possible linkage between international peace and security and climate change.
In order to prevent such challenging situations to occur, addressing the underlying causes is imperative. To this end, all Member States must adhere to their respective obligations based on the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities.
Likewise, developed countries must uphold their promises to provide the developing and affected countries with timely and sufficient financial support and technical assistance, including through facilitating the transfer of required technologies.
In conclusion, we reiterate our principled position that the climate change is primarily an issue related to sustainable development, and thus outside the purview of Security Council. Moreover, engagement of the Security Council, which lacks the requisite expertise and tools in this sphere, would trespass the mandate of other main organs of the UN, further complicating their work in effectively addressing the challenges of climate change.
I thank you, Mr. President.