Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday, Prime Minister Amir Saeed Iravani stressed that unilateral coercive measures are among the horrifying challenges that constitute a gross violation of the fundamental principles of international law and the principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, in particular sovereign equality and non-interference.
“Such illegal measures violate and impede the realization of human rights, including the right to development, and at the same time have a negative impact on the overall enjoyment of human rights,” the envoy stressed.
Mr. Irabani said the United Nations General Assembly has consistently expressed concern about the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures on international relations, trade, investment and cooperation and condemned them as illegal.
The unprecedented spread of such illegal measures is causing severe suffering, depriving countries of their fundamental rights, and hitting civilians hardest, it added.
“This unprecedented and alarming escalation in the scope and scale of the promulgation and implementation of such illegal measures is causing severe economic hardship and human suffering, and depriving many independent countries of their inalienable fundamental rights, including the right to development,” he continued.
Furthermore, Irabani said, “These coercive measures are targeting the daily lives of civilians more than ever before, imposing significant, disproportionate and indiscriminate human costs across affected populations, including women, children and the elderly.”
He added that such illegal measures also have serious humanitarian consequences, including preventing affected populations from accessing medicines, medical services and equipment, and other necessities.
“Needless to say, unilateral coercive measures impose dire living conditions on all citizens of the target countries and amount to crimes against humanity.”
Iravani stressed that Iran will continue its efforts to counter these illegal measures, especially in order to uphold the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter and promote international cooperation based on international law.
He called on UN Secretary-General António Guterres to appoint a “special adviser on unilateral coercive measures.”
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