'UNSC sanctions system should be revised'

TEHRAN, Dec. 3 (MNA) - Iran’s deputy ambassador to the United Nations has called for the UN Security Council's mechanism for adopting sanctions to be revised. Sanctions must be imposed in line with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, Eshaq Ale-Habib stated at a meeting of the UNSC in New York on Wednesday. According to Article 24 of the Charter, the council must make decisions on behalf of all UN member countries, however, in many cases and in practice, the decisions made by the council do not reflect the views of the member states, he added. Part of Article 24 reads: "In order to ensure prompt and effective action by the United Nations, its Members confer on the Security Council primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security, and agree that in carrying out its duties under this responsibility the Security Council acts on their behalf." Ale-Habib went on to say that on many occasions, the non-permanent members of the council are not aware of secret negotiations held by certain permanent members. And even when a draft resolution or a statement is to be prepared against a UN member country, that country is not informed, he added. The Iranian envoy also said that adopting unnecessary sanctions against certain UN member states on a frequent basis undermines the credibility and the decisions of the council. Elsewhere in his remarks, Ale-Habib criticized the council for interfering in the affairs of other UN-affiliated bodies, particularly the General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council, and the International Atomic Energy Agency. This is a matter of great concern for the UN member states, and the Security Council should seriously take the issue into consideration, he stated. The UNSC member states should be aware that the council's failure to improve the underlying mechanisms and its decision-making process has eroded the confidence of the world's people in this important institution, Ale-Habib said, adding that impartiality, transparency, and justice should underlie the council's system. He added that the Islamic Republic of Iran, given its membership of the UN, attaches great significance to the mechanisms of this international organization and would like to help strengthen the Security Council's role in advancing the objectives of the UN, particularly its goals of improving world peace and global security, finding peaceful solutions to disputes between countries, and enforcing the rule of law in international relations. In addition, he stated that the fact that certain permanent members of the council have been using the language of force and threat against other countries with the aim of advancing their own interests has been a source of concern for the Islamic Republic, has endangered world peace and global stability, and undermines the fundamental principles of the UN and international regulations. Four rounds of sanctions have been imposed on Iran over its nuclear program under the illusion that it may divert its civilian nuclear program to weapons production.