Iran UN envoy blames Security Council selective approach

EghtesadOnline: The Islamic Republic of Iran on behalf of the Non-aligned Movement has called on the UN Security Council to practice non-selectivity, impartiality and accountability in its actions.

News ID: ۷۶۸۳۹۳

20 July 2016

'We reiterate the necessity of non-selectivity, impartiality and accountability in the work of the Council,' said Golam Ali Khoshroo Iran Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations.

Khoshroo, addressing the Security Council Open Debate on the Working Methods of the Council on Tuesday, criticized the Security Council for its selective and nontransparent approaches to the global issues, reports ISNA.

'In recent years, the Security Council has been too quick to threaten or authorize enforcement action in some cases, while remaining silent and inactive in others,' he said.

Iran's UN ambassador also said that NAM members are against using the Security Council as a tool to achieve political ends.

'The Non-Aligned Movement rejects the use of the Security Council as a tool to pursue national political interests and agendas, since that practice aggravates rather than alleviates situations and runs counter to its mission as enshrined in the Charter,' he said.

'The establishment of subsidiary organs by the Council should be in accordance with the letter and spirit of the Charter of the United Nations, and those organs should function in a manner that provides adequate and timely information on their activities to the broad United Nations membership,' Khoshroo said.

He also urged the Council to act in accordance to the UN Charter.

'The decision by the Security Council to initiate formal or informal discussions on the situation in any Member State or on any issue that does not constitute a threat to international peace and security is contrary to Article 24 of the Charter,' Khoshroo said.

'In such cases, there is a need for the Council to remain strictly within the powers and functions accorded to it by Member States under the Charter,' he said.
Iran's UN ambassador also recommended the Council to act in a balanced way.

'Furthermore, the Council has increasingly resorted to Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations as an umbrella for addressing issues that do not necessarily pose an immediate threat to international peace and security.'

'Instead of making excessive and quick resort to Chapter VII, efforts should be made to fully utilize the provisions of Chapters VI and VIII for the pacific settlement of disputes.'

'As we approach the process to appoint a new Secretary-General for the Organization, NAM underlines its position as elaborated in the Algiers ministerial declaration of May 2014, along with the central role of the General Assembly in the process of selecting and appointing the Secretary-General, and expresses its support for efforts aimed at reinforcing and strengthening the role of the Assembly in that regard.'

On behalf of the Non-aligned Movement, Khoshroo called on the Security Council to promote transparency, openness and consistency

Finally, for NAM, transparency, openness and consistency are key elements that the Security Council should observe in all its activities, approaches and procedures.