Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

FM regrets UNSC attempt to deprive a nation of its inalienable right under pressure of its permanent members

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

United Nations, New York, March 25, IRNA
Nuclear-Mottaki-UNSC
Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said that it is very unfortunate that the Security Council, under the manifest pressure by a few of its permanent members, persists in trying to deprive a nation of its "inalienable right" to develop nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.

He added that this is while that nation has met and continues to honor its international obligations.

Mottaki made the remark at the United Nations Security meeting in New York on Saturday night.

He added that the Security Council's decision to try to coerce Iran into suspension of its peaceful nuclear program is a gross violation of Article 25 of the Charter, and contradicts the Iranian people's right to development and education.

"While Member States have agreed, in accordance with Article 25 of the Charter, to accept and carry out the decisions of the Security Council in accordance with the present Charter, the UNSC could not pressurize countries into submitting either to its decisions taken in bad faith or to its demands negating the fundamental purposes and principles of the UN Charter.

"Likewise, as the International Court of Justice held in its 1971 advisory opinion, the member states are required to comply with its decisions only if they are in accordance with the UN Charter," he said.

Mottaki then raised the question whether the UN Charter does authorize the Security Council to require the UN member states to give up their basic rights emanating from treaties?

"To do that would violate established principles of international treaty law and that of the purposes of the UN Charter to establish conditions under which justice and respect for treaty obligations is to be maintained," noted the minister.

He raised the question, "Who could deny that preventing a whole nation from higher education in specific fields as well as from benefiting from nuclear technology for humanitarian and civil uses is contrary to the basic rights of all people to education and the right to development?

"Isn't it an alarming discriminatory approach vis-a-vis knowledge and development? How could an organ of the United Nations, established to maintain peace and security, be manipulated by certain States not only to act contrary to fundamental purposes and principles of the Charter, but also to aggravate an easily-resolvable issue into an international crisis?"

He said that however, it is evident that such an approach will strengthen the resolve of developing countries to expedite their independence-seeking efforts and attain even greater scientific and technological achievements.

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