The Non-Aligned Movement accused the United Nations Security Council of acting in a "selective" manner in dealing with international affairs.
Gholamali Khoshroo, Iran's ambassador and permanent representative to the UN, made the statement on Tuesday, addressing an open session of the UNSC on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement.
The Islamic Republic currently holds the rotating presidency of NAM.
"In its examining of [various] affairs, the Security Council has generally adopted a selective approach, acts in a non-transparent manner and pays undue attention to peripheral matters while being inadvertent to more important issues,” he was quoted as saying by Press TV.
The envoy said NAM believes that transparency, impartiality and consistency in the positions adopted should guide the council's functions, adding that such principles have, unfortunately, been neglected on many occasions.
"NAM members have invariably objected to the instrumental use of the council's [potentialities] in pursuit of political goals," he said.
He regretted that the UNSC has in recent years sought immediate recourse in some cases to the UN Charter's Chapter VII while choosing to stay silent and passive on other occasions.
Khoshroo warned against such recourse to the chapter, which allows measures such as sanctions or military intervention if countries do not meet its demands.
He said resorting to Chapter VII of the UN Charter should be a "last resort" and used only when a real and serious threat is posed to international peace and security.
NAM, an international organization with 120 member states and 21 observer countries, is considered to be not formally aligned with or against any major power bloc.
