Iran warns UN of humanitarian impact of unilateral coercive measures

“Unilateral coercive measures are among the daunting challenges that constitute a flagrant violation of the fundamental principles of international law and the principles set forth in the Charter of the United Nations, in particular, sovereign equality and non-intervention,” Amir Saeid Iravani said Thursday in a statement read at to the UN General Assembly.

“Such illegal measures also violate and impede the realization of human rights, including the right to development, while negatively affecting the overall enjoyment of human rights,” he said. 

Iravani said that the Assembly has consistently voiced concern over the harmful effects of unilateral coercive measures on international relations, trade, investment, and cooperation, and had condemned them as unlawful.

The unprecedented spread of such unlawful measures has caused severe suffering, depriving countries of basic rights and hitting civilians hardest, he added.

“The unprecedented and alarming intensification in the extent and magnitude of promulgation, application and implementation of such unlawful measures has caused severe economic hardship and human suffering, depriving many independent countries of their inalienable and basic rights, including the right to development.

“These measures target, first and foremost, the daily life of civilians and exact heavy, disproportionate, and indiscriminate human costs on the entire affected population, including women, children and the elderly,” Iravani noted.

Such unlawful measures also have serious humanitarian impacts, including by impeding affected populations’ access to medicine, medical services and equipment, and other essential commodities – effects that are further exacerbated during health emergencies, as the human suffering witnessed during the pandemic, he added. 

“It goes without saying that unilateral coercive measures inflict egregious conditions of life upon the entire population of targeted countries and constitute as crimes against humanity.”

Iravani said, “We will continue our efforts in countering these unlawful measures to, among others, uphold the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and promote international cooperation on the basis of international law not coercion or intimidation.”

He called on UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres to appoint a “Special Advisor on Unilateral Coercive Measures.”