Statement by

H.E. Mr. Majid Takht Ravanchi

Ambassador and Permanent Representative

of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations

Before the United Nations Security Council

High-level Open Debate On “Strengthening accountability

and justice for serious violations of international law”

New York, 2 June 2022

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

Mr. President,

I would like to thank you for convening this high-level open debate. I also thank the briefers for their insightful briefings.

The accountability and justice for serious violations of basic rules of international law, particularly those accepted and recognized as peremptory norms and serve as the foundation of international legal order are essential in the maintenance of international peace and security while States have the primary legal obligation to adhere to international law and prevent the commission of such atrocities as well as their prosecution.

Meantime, serious violations of international law, continue with impunity and the Council has at times failed to uphold its responsibilities in this regard.

Here, a reference can be made to the Security Council’s silence over the Israeli regime's persistent, well-documented and irrefutable atrocities, including war crimes and crimes against humanity, committed against the Palestinian people.

Mr. President,

Unilateral coercive measures are employed by certain states as a method of war to starve innocent civilians. These international wrongful acts violate the UN Charter and international law.

We believe that those countries that impose unilateral coercive measures including sanctions as a state policy should be held accountable for such crimes.

For decades, Iran has been the target of the most severe economic and financial sanctions of the United States, directly endangering the lives of Iran's most vulnerable population, including children, the elderly, and patients. Even some patients, particularly children with rare diseases, have died as a result of import restrictions on medicine and medical supplies, a heartbreaking reality.

As a result of Iran's submission to the International Court of Justice, on October 3, 2018, the Court unanimously issued an Order on provisional measures requiring the United States to remove any sanction on the importation of humanitarian goods. The Court also ordered the U.S. to make sure that all necessary permits and authorizations are in place, and that payment and other financial activities linked to the humanitarian goods and services are not restricted. Unfortunately, the U.S. has not only failed to comply with the Court's Order but also defied it by imposing additional sanctions, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a statement made during her recent visit to Tehran on May 18, 2022, the UN Special Rapporteur on the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures emphasized the illegality of such inhumane measures, asserting that "States have an obligation under international human rights law to ensure that any activity under their jurisdiction or control does not result in human rights violations, and in this regard, she calls on sanctioning States, particularly the United States, to observe the principles and norms of international law, and to lift all unilateral measures, in particular on those areas affecting the human rights and the lives of all the people in Iran”.

Mr. President,

Finally, any effort at the national level under the pretense of addressing impunity and maintaining accountability based on universal jurisdiction remains a serious concern due to its selective and arbitrary application by certain States, undermining the international legal order based on international law, particularly those fundamental principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter, such as equal sovereignty of states.

I thank you