Iranian Envoy:

UN Human Rights Resolution on Syria Breach of Int’l Law

Rasa - Iran’s Deputy Ambassador to the United Nations Gholam Hossein Dehqani took a swipe at a recent draft resolution by the UN on the situation of human Rights in Syria, stressing that it is in violation of the basic principles of international law.

News ID: 425088

Date: 16 November 2016 - 16:55

RNA - “In light of the explanations provided before the action on the draft resolution on the situation of human rights in Syria, nobody has to have any doubt that this resolution is in contravention of the basic principles of international law and therefore, a disservice to this Committee,” Dehqani said on Tuesday, addressing the third Committee of the 71st session of the General Assembly.

The full text of his speech is as follows:

Mr. Chairman,

In light of the explanations provided before the action on the draft resolution on the situation of human rights in Syria, nobody has to have any doubt that this resolution is in contravention of the basic principles of international law and therefore, a disservice to this Committee. Yet more troubling, it does nothing but rewarding violent extremism and terrorism and those who have helped them develop extreme ideologies and corresponding financial and logistical resources in the past many years.

It is also peculiar that a number of countries in the West, in particular the United Kingdom that claim high ground in preaching others about human rights have sided here with those who, at the very least, have always been the source of export of intolerance to other parts of the world; the very intolerance that is, in turn, the major source of violent extremism and terrorism. Let alone what they do with their own citizens inside their borders. It is very unfortunate that, at the same time, the structural weakness of the UN human right mechanisms is giving them the opportunity to abuse the system and have such resolutions passed.

Let me, however, assure those who initiated this resolution and those who abetted them push it through this Committee, that this and similar acts won’t dissuade us from our fight against violent extremism, as we are determined to clean our environment from extremists who try to sow terror in our neighborhood and export it to the entire world.

Thank you Mr. Chairperson.

847/940