Statement by

Mr. Mohammad Ghorbanpour

First Secretary

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

Before The Special Committee on the Charter of the United Nations and on the Strengthening of the Role of the Organization

General Statement

New York, 22 February 2022

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

Mr. Chairman,

Allow me at the outset to join the other delegations in welcoming you and the other members of the Bureau and express my delegation’s gratitude to the Secretariat for the preparation of the meeting.

I would also like to join in the statements delivered earlier today on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement and Group of Friends on Defense of the Charter of the United Nations, respectively, and present some additional remarks in my national capacity.

International relations based on international law, which were the backbone for the founders of the United Nations and the signatories to its Charter, are under severe attack. They are continuously undermined due to the arbitrary interpretation of the principles and rules of international law, including the Charter, as well as the misuse of UN mechanisms by some specific States in order to achieve their narrow political agenda.

It is needless to reemphasize that the Special Committee on the Charter of the United Nations and on the Strengthening of the Role of the Organization is the only durable mechanism within the UN framework to discuss issues related to the UN Charter, strengthening of the role of the Organization as well as upholding its principles. Having said that, my delegation supports any proposal that contributes to strengthening and promoting its well-established role that can, in turn, ultimately strengthen the UN. Therefore, I take this opportunity and express our continued support to the proposal of Cuba on strengthening the role of the UN and enhancing its effectiveness. 

With that in mind, we also acknowledge and uphold the Committee as it is entrusted to address important issues related to international peace and security as well as pacific settlement of disputes.

On issues related to international peace and security, prohibition of the threat or use of force as enshrined in Article 2(4) of the UN Charter has been an essential achievement of the United Nations which constitutes a fundamental principle of international law. Clarification and re-affirmation of Charter Provisions, with respect to the use of force, could contribute to the strengthening of the organization.

In this regard, we reiterate our support to the joint proposal of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus to seek, through the General Assembly, the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice on the legal consequences of the resort to the use of force without authorization by the Security Council, except in the exercise of the right to self-defense. We also welcome the consideration of the Working Paper submitted by the delegation of Mexico entitled “Analysis of the application of Articles 2 (4) and 51 of the Charter of the United Nations”.

Regarding sanctions imposed by the United Nations, while the imposition of Security Council sanctions under Chapter VII of the UN Charter has a paramount effect on the political life of countries as well as their peoples, unfortunately such sanctions are introduced or lifted completely dependent on the political will of a small number of Member States. There should be pre-established standards or criteria for recognizing the relevant situations or cases as enshrined in the Charter while determining and imposing sanctions. These criteria should include, inter alia, the considerations related to the equal sovereignty of Member States as well as the basic human rights of the concerned nations.

 Mr. Chairman,

Another discouraging account regarding the UN Charter and international legal order involves the issue of imposing unilateral coercive measures. The morally wrong and ethically unjustified unilateral measures not only defy the rule of law at the international level but also infringe upon the right to development thus leading to the violation of basic human rights and are therefore considered unlawful international acts. Therefore, all member states are under an obligation to stand against these unlawful measures that violate their freedom of trade as well as their sovereignty. Considering the grave and adverse consequences of unilateral coercive measures and with the view of developing a legal framework to stand against these unlawful measures, it is high time that the Special Committee on the Charter of the United Nations and on the Strengthening of the Role of the Organization take the issue seriously and explore the ways and means to prevent, remove, minimize and redress the adverse impact of unilateral coercive measures. That is why my delegation put forward a proposal in this regard in 2020. We invite all Member States to carefully review this proposal and engage in discussion with a view to improve the legal framework to stand against unilateral coercive measures.

Mr. Chairman,

We also welcome the Working Paper submitted by the Syrian Arab Republic entitled “Privileges and immunities enjoyed by representatives of the Members of the United Nations and officials of the Organization that are necessary for the independent exercise of their functions in connection with the Organization” which was presented within this Committee in 2020. We are of the view that it is high time to consider this Working Paper substantively. Hosting the United Nations is a great privilege with certain specific responsibilities.

We extend our appreciation to the Russian Federation for touching upon an important issue in the ongoing activities of the UN system in its statement. Upholding Article 71 of the UN Charter will strengthen multilateralism based on the sovereign equality of States and preserve equal footing for all states in UN activities. While we welcome any and all constructive engagement by relevant stakeholders within relevant UN activities, this contribution should be based on not only the UN Charter but also consensus and avoid undermining the intergovernmental nature of our Organization.

Mr. Chairman,

We attach particular importance to the annual thematic debate under the agenda item on the peaceful settlement of disputes, which contributes to the more efficient and effective use of peaceful means while promoting a culture of peace among Member States. We look forward to useful deliberations during this session of the Special Committee, including within the thematic debate on the subtopic “Exchange of information on States practices regarding the use of judicial settlement”.

In conclusion, Mr. Chairman, my delegation expresses its appreciation to those delegations that put forward valuable and productive proposals during the previous Sessions of the Special Committee. We invite all Member States to engage constructively on proposals as well as on the improvement of the work of the Committee. We reiterate the need for genuine political will in order to advance the long-standing issues included in the agenda.

I thank you, Mr. Chairman.