WANA (Dec 04) – Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations in New York has called on the UN Secretary-General to appoint a “Special Adviser on Unilateral Coercive Measures.”

 

Addressing a UN General Assembly meeting held to mark the International Day of Countering Unilateral Coercive Measures, Amir Saeid Iravani said such measures represent “alarming challenges” that constitute clear violations of fundamental principles of international law and the UN Charter, particularly sovereign equality and non-interference.

 

He stressed that unilateral coercive measures are illegal, undermine human rights—including the right to development—and hinder their realization, thereby negatively affecting the full enjoyment of human rights.

 

Iravani noted that the General Assembly has consistently expressed concern over the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures on international relations, trade, investment, and cooperation, rejecting such measures and objecting to them.

 

He said the unprecedented expansion and intensification of these “illegal” actions have caused severe economic hardship and human suffering, depriving many independent states of their fundamental and inalienable rights, including the right to development.

 

These measures, he added, primarily affect the daily lives of civilians and impose high and disproportionate humanitarian costs on affected populations, including women, children, and the elderly.

 

He stated that such measures also create serious humanitarian consequences by hindering access to medicine, medical services and equipment, and other essential goods—impacts that become even more severe in health emergencies, as demonstrated during the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

Iravani argued that unilateral coercive measures impose catastrophic living conditions on entire targeted populations and “amount to crimes against humanity.”

 

These actions, he continued, represent only part of the violations of international law and the grave threats they pose to the international rule of law. The General Assembly meeting, he said, plays a vital role in raising awareness of the harmful effects of such measures on targeted populations.

 

The Iranian envoy reaffirmed that Iran will continue its efforts to counter these “illegal” actions in order to uphold the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and strengthen international cooperation based on international law rather than coercion or intimidation.

 

Iravani also urged the Secretary-General to proceed with the appointment of a “Special Adviser on Unilateral Coercive Measures.”

Amir Saeid Iravani, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations. UN

Amir Saeid Iravani, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations. Social Media / WANA News Agency