'The Islamic Republic of Iran, as the initiator of the idea of 'A world against Violence and Extremism', once again invites all peace-loving nations to close ranks for the cause of peace,' said Iran's Ambassador and Permanent Representative the UN Gholamali Khoshroo in his address to the UN General Assembly on 'Culture of Peace'.
The full text of his statement follows'
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Mr. President,
Allow me to begin by thanking the Permanent Missions of Malaysia and Algeria to the United Nations for introducing the resolutions under consideration today; namely on 'moderation' and 'International Day of Living Together in Peace', which we hope they will be adopted by consensus.
The documents under consideration of this Assembly today include also document A/72/621, containing the report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of General Assembly resolution A/70/109 entitled 'A World Against Violence and Violent Extremism', or WAVE for short. As my country is the main sponsor of this resolution, I would like to thank the Secretary-General and his colleagues in the Secretariat for their efforts in preparing this report. I would also like to commend the whole UN system for all the relevant initiatives and undertakings aiming to implement the resolution with a view to preventing and countering violent extremism, a list and review of which are provided in the report.
Mr. President,
The United Nations was founded with the high hope of saving the future generations from the scourge of war. As such, 'peace' lies at the heart of the work of this organization and 'culture of peace' is the essence of the UN Charter.
As the world faces today amore baffling number of risks, threats and challenges, the UN responsibility to foster and promote peace grows as well, especially with the rise of those state and non-state actors who are spreading hateful ideologies.
The world situation demands all states to be more vigilant regarding the implications and consequences of their messages, actions and decisions on the fragile situation of peace.
Those who try to legitimize occupation in our region by rejecting the historical realities are gravely undermining peace. Occupation of the Palestinian Land lies at the root of all crises in our region and any action to deny the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, including with regard to the holy city of Al-Quds and particularly Al-Aqsa Mosque, will only result in more bloodshed and rage. We strongly condemn the recognition of city of Al-Quds (Jerusalem) by the United State of America as the Capital of the Israeli regime, as well as the plan to transfer the US embassy to this holy city. This unilateral act constitutes a grave violation of international law, as any territorial acquisition resulting from the use of force is illegal, and all States have an obligation to refrain from any action that runs counter to this principle. The U.S. action is not only illegal but also indicates how hypocritical is its policy with regard to the peace and stability in the Middle East.
The international community holds the United States and the Israeli regime responsible for all dangerous consequences of this reckless and illegal act. Throughout history, occupation and peace have never gone hand in hand. The case at hand is no exception, and there can be no peace and justice as long as the occupation of the Palestinian land continues.
Mr. President,
The failed experiences of the past should not be repeated. Those who prefer sanctions and coercion over diplomacy and negotiation, by their deeds and rhetoric, strengthen extremism and weaken the culture of peace and tolerance. Unilateralism and coercive measures are sources of instability and insecurity in international relations and have to be blamed for the spreading of terrorism and extremism.
Mr. President,
What is happening today in many parts of the world, from the Occupied Palestinian territory to Yemen, all reflect cases of failure in our joint endeavor towards enhancing peace in the world. However, we cannot and should not give up.
In fact, despite all the difficulties and challenges facing our region, there are reasons to be optimistic. The recent series of defeat imposed on ISIS in our region, most notably in Syria and Iraq, is a turning point and a historical victory for peace and peace-loving nations.
We express our sincere congratulations to the Governments and courageous peoples of Syria and Iraq for their decisive victories against terrorist groups, which became possible only due to their bravery and steadfastness.
At the same time, despite their military defeat, the ideology and networking which created ISIS is still alive. No final victory against ISIS and terrorism in general can be imagined without ridding the world of the dark takfiri ideology which inspires ISIS and similar terrorist groups.
Mr. President,
War and conflict have always imposed themselves onto societies. Today, however, the cost of war has made it a non-option. Thus, it is imperative to make long-lasting peace a reality.
To that end, the Islamic Republic of Iran, as the initiator of the idea of 'A world against Violence and Extremism', once again invites all peace-loving nations to close ranks for the cause of peace.
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