The Permanent Representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations said that unilateral economic sanctions are one of the main obstacles to effectively counteracting the negative effects of climate change and thus should be lifted.

Iran PressAmerica: Majid Takht-Ravanchi made the remarks at a UN Security Council meeting on Tuesday to review the security implications of climate change.

He added that tackling the negative aspects of climate change should be a collective responsibility and that all governments should fully implement their obligations under the Climate Change Convention and the Paris Agreement.

The ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations added: "Sanctions severely undermine the ability of a number of developing countries, such as Iran, to meet the challenges of climate change."

"US unilateral sanctions against Iran have not only prevented access to the necessary financial resources and technologies, but have also adversely affected the effective use of national capabilities to meet its obligations, and hence these illegal and inhumane sanctions must be lifted," Majid Takht-Ravanchi said.

He stressed that we support the view that there is no direct link between climate change and security, and that these issues should be addressed in the relevant forums, such as the General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council and the Climate Change Convention.

"The undeniable truth is that many of the root causes of the climate change security risks that the Security Council intends to address in conflict zones, including in Africa, are not indigenous, but are largely rooted in illegitimate interventions and the irresponsible actions of developed countries," Iran's Permanent Representative to the United Nations emphasized. 

"The solution, therefore, is not to have them reviewed by the Security Council, but to ask all countries, especially developed countries, to fully and effectively implement their commitments," Takht-e Ravanchi said. 219