Iran Urges Developed Countries to Honor Commitments to Social Development

Addressing the 62nd session of the UN Commission for Social Development, held in New York on Monday, Iran's representative Vahid Ghelich said, “The Islamic Republic of Iran highly values the key role that this Commission could play in promoting conducive environment towards achieving sustainable development for all.”

“We believe that only through the joint efforts and under the international collaboration and solidarity, the challenges to the social development can be addressed. However, we have still a long way to go. Widening divides and gaps caused by the lack of resources for promoting social development and furthermore the unequal economic opportunities between the developed and developing countries have exacerbated the situation. In this regard the international community, including the developed countries, should fulfil their commitments without prejudice to properly mobilize and provide the financial support and transfer technical assistance to ensure a global, sustainable as well as inclusive social development,” he added.

“In this scope, eradicating poverty, access to adequate health facilities, access to advanced technology and innovation, leveraging the power of science and capacity building, are critically needed,” the Iranian envoy stated.

“Believing in an inclusive social development for all, and in our endeavors to leave no one behind, and from a humanitarian perspective, the Islamic Republic of Iran has generously hosted millions of refugees, displaced persons and migrants from neighboring countries. We have shared with them resources and facilities of Iranian people for education, nutrition and health in the absence of meaningful international support. They have benefited from inclusive access to basic social and protection services, and during the COVID pandemic the majority of them got vaccinated alongside Iranians without any discrimination,” the envoy said.

“The Unilateral Coercive Measures which infringe the fundamental principles of international law as well as principles and purposes set forth in the UN Charter, remains as one of the most pressing challenges and hindrances in ensuring effective social development,” Ghelich stated.

Pointing to the alarming humanitarian situation in Palestine, particularly in Gaza, the Iranian representative said, “Such situation has the dramatic impacts on social development and social justice for the Palestinian people including women, children, the aging persons and persons with disabilities particularly millions displaced Palestinians and remaining family members of the around 27 thousand Palestinians have been killed during the last months as well as more than 67 thousand injured Palestinians many of them are going to face a kind of disability in the rest of their life.”

He concluded his address by reemphasizing an invaluable message of Imam Ali (PBUH), which says, “Be kind to all. People are of two types; they are either your brother in faith or your equals in creation.”