Iran castigates imposition of sanctions as “political leverage”

New York, IRNA – Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations Majid Takht Ravanchi has severely condemned certain governments’ imposition of sanctions as “political leverage” in bilateral relations. “We strongly condemn the imposition of UCMs by certain states who utilize them as political leverage in their bilateral relations,” the ambassador said at the 2022 Economic and Social Council's (ECOSOC) Humanitarian Affairs Segment in New York on Tuesday. Islamic Republic of Iran believes that unilateral coercive measures are the main obstacle to the international efforts to extend humanitarian aid worldwide, Takht Ravanchi noted. The full text of the ambassador remarks is as follows: Mr. Chair, I would like to align myself with the statement delivered by the Ambassador of Pakistan on behalf of the G77 & China and share the following in my national capacity. Mr. Chair, The international community is facing emerging and evolving challenges as it strives to address these emergencies. With an increasing number of people suffering from the effects of natural disasters, armed conflicts, and foreign occupation, the COVID-19 pandemic as well as Unilateral Coercive Measures, leading inter alia to blockades and even starvation of people, have eroded our capacity to deal with them while also hindering the development of disaster-stricken countries. In our region, the dire humanitarian situation in Afghanistan, Syria, Palestine and Yemen has caused enormous suffering for the people. And in our neighborhood, the massive influx of Afghan refugees to its immediate neighboring countries, including Iran, has severely exacerbated this tragedy. Mr. Chair, We strongly believe that addressing the root causes of humanitarian crises and emergencies, as well as greater investment in prevention, are the only sustainable and durable solutions for this global phenomenon. In our view, all principles and purposes of the UN Charter, notably respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity of states, should be strictly observed by all countries as well as humanitarian aid organizations. While emphasizing the primary role and responsibility of states in their response to humanitarian emergencies, national ownership and leadership in the coordination of humanitarian assistance to ensure an effective humanitarian assistance delivery must be acknowledged. Mr. Chair, The Islamic Republic of Iran emphasizes the importance of upholding the Humanitarian nature of all humanitarian assistance, including the United Nations humanitarian response system. Legitimate concerns regarding the deviation of humanitarian aid as well as non-humanitarian activities under the guise of providing humanitarian aid must be immediately met with thorough and independent investigations. Furthermore, the United Nations must assure that all humanitarian aid is distributed among all populations in need indiscriminately and without undue interference. Mr. Chair, The Islamic Republic of Iran considers the unilateral coercive measures (UCMs) as one of the main obstacles which hinder international efforts to provide humanitarian assistance while also serving as one of the main sources in creating humanitarian crises around the world. We strongly condemn the imposition of UCMs by certain states who utilize them as political leverage in their bilateral relations. While being prone to different types of disasters such as earthquakes, droughts, dust and sand storms and floods which stretch our resources, the Islamic Republic of Iran has tremendously suffered from the unlawful and illegal unilateral sanctions. Finally, Mr. Chair, in line with the Sendi Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, a practical step is expected to be taken under the UN auspices to boost regional cooperation, especially among our neighboring countries in harnessing disasters like sand storm. We would also welcome cooperation among the relevant UN bodies on disaster related issues, including resilience prevention, risk reduction, rehabilitation and reconstruction. Thank you Follow us on Twitter @IrnaEnglish