The UN Human Rights Council should adopt a "non-politicized" approach based on constructive dialogue in its consideration of the human rights situation in various countries, Iran's deputy permanent representative to the UN said on Monday.
"We reaffirm that all human rights, in particular the right to development, are universal, inalienable, indivisible, interdependent and interrelated, and that human rights issues must be addressed within the global context through a constructive, non-confrontational, non-politicized, non-selective, impartial, transparent and dialogue-based approach," Gholamhossein Dehqani added.
The envoy made the statement on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement in a meeting of the 70th session of the UN General Assembly on Human Rights Council's report.
Dehqani, whose country holds the rotating presidency of NAM, cautioned the council against employing discriminatory practices, which would undermine the cause of promoting democracy and development across the globe.
"NAM reaffirms that democracy, development and respect for all human rights and fundamental freedoms are interdependent and mutually reinforcing. The international community should support the strengthening and promotion of democracy, development and respect for all human rights and fundamental freedoms in the entire world, without distinction between developed and developing countries," he said.
According to a transcript of the ambassador's remarks posted on the website of Iran's permanent mission to the United nations, Dehqani invoked the UN Charter to note that to ensure human rights issues are addressed in a fair manner, specific considerations of different countries need to be taken into account.
Need to Consider Particularities
"[Such issues] should be also addressed in a fair and equal manner, with objectivity and respect for all principles enshrined in the UN Charter, including the respect for national sovereignty, territorial integrity, non-interference in the internal affairs of states, the right to self-determination of all peoples under foreign occupation and colonial or alien domination, as the guiding principles, taking also into account the political, historical, social, religious and cultural particularities of each country," Dehqani said.
"In this regard, the movement expresses its deep concern over the continuation and the proliferation of the practice of selective adoption of country-specific resolutions in the Human Rights Council, which is a tool that exploits human rights for political purposes and breaches the principles of universality, objectivity and non-selectivity in addressing human rights issues, which undermine cooperation as the essential principle to effectively promote and protect all universally recognized human rights for all."
The Iranian envoy called for collective efforts by the international community toward building an international order based on "inclusion, justice, equality and equity, human dignity, mutual understanding and promotion of and respect for cultural diversity and universal human rights."
Dehqani denounced the recent shooting and bombing attacks conducted by the so-called Islamic State militant group in France, Lebanon and Iraq, killing hundreds of people and extended NAM's condolences to the governments and peoples of the targeted countries.
"On behalf of the member states of the Non- Aligned Movement, I would like to express the movement's sympathy with the families of the victims of the terrorist attacks committed by the terrorist group of Daesh [another name of IS] during the last 10 days in Paris, Beirut and Baghdad," he said.
"The movement strongly condemns those terrorist attacks and extends its condolences to the governments and peoples of France, Lebanon and Iraq. Those terrorist attacks once again proved that terrorism and violent extremism are global threats, and combating them requires global cooperation."
