UNITED NATIONS (Dispatches) -- Iran says unilateral U.S. sanctions violate the indisputable and basic principles of human rights and amount to a crime against humanity.
In an address to the Second Committee of the UN General Assembly, which deals with global finance and economic matters, Iran’s UN Ambassador Majid Takht-Ravanchi described the COVID‑19 pandemic as a “wake‑up call for the whole world” that reminded humanity that the development, welfare and prosperity of all people are interdependent.
The outbreak, he added, also sounded the alarm over unjust, illegal self-serving and unilateral approaches adopted by certain countries that are undermining multilateralism when it is most needed.
“The illegitimate unilateral coercive measures imposed by the United States on developing countries as well as the inaction of the international community on these violations of the inalienable principles of international law have turned claims of leaving no one behind into purely decorative, absurd and meaningless gestures,” Takht-Ravanchi said.
“Such actions violate the indisputable and basic principles of human rights of nations, including the right to development, and deprive governments of access to executive tools for development and progress.”
Amid the current health crisis, he said, “taking unilateral coercive measures has fundamentally targeted and paralyzed the countries’ health care systems. Such move amounts to a crime against humanity and contradicts the goals of development.”
Iran, Takht-Ravanchi said, has redoubled efforts to build a future full of hope and pride for its people despite the U.S. pressure, including restrictions caused by Washington’s unilateral withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal and its re-imposition of illegal sanctions on the Iranian nation.
Iran, he said, ranked 59th out of 166 states in terms of development indicators in the Sustainable Development Report 2020, which shows the country’s great achievements.

In spite of all challenges, Iran continues to rank high among nations in such areas as education, women’s participation in public life and biotechnology, Takht-Ravanchi said, adding it has also become one of the world’s manufacturers of COVID‑19 vaccines.
Additionally, Iran is taking strong steps on climate change mitigation and adaptation, having made significant strides in moving towards a low-carbon economy, he added.