UNITED NATIONS, Sept 20: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has called on the UN General Assembly ‘to rescue the Security Council from its current state’ by the envoys from Africa, the Middle East and the Non-Aligned Movement.
Addressing the UN General Assembly late on Tuesday evening, Mr Ahmadinejad said permanent inclusion of the United States on the council undermined UNSC’s effectiveness and credibility.
The UN Security Council could only be trusted to secure the rights and security of certain big powers, he said.
“As long as the council is unable to act on behalf of the entire international community in a transparent, just and democratic manner, it will neither be legitimate nor effective,” the president said.
Mr Ahmadinejad chided the UN Security Council for what he called its inaction in Lebanon, Iraq and the Palestinian territories. “It does not matter if people are murdered in Palestine,” he said of the conflicts in which Israel has been engaged in Gaza and the West Bank. “That apparently does not violate human rights.”
He also criticized the “blanketed and unwarranted support” for Israel during conflicts in the Palestinian territories and Lebanon.
“For 33 days, the Lebanese lived under the barrage of fire and bombs, and close to 1.5 million of them were displaced,” Mr Ahmadinejad said.
“Meanwhile, some members of the Security Council practically chose a path that provided ample opportunity for the aggressor to achieve its objectives militarily.”
The Security Council “was practically incapacitated by certain powers to even call for a cease-fire,” he said.
Referring to Israel, Mr Ahmadinejad said: “That regime has been a constant source of threat and insecurity in the Middle East region, waging war and spilling blood and impeding the progress of regional countries.”
Speaking about Iraq, Mr Ahmadinejad described the United States as “the occupiers” and said it was “incapable of establishing security,” and scores died daily as a result.
“Where can the people of Iraq seek refuge, and from whom can the people of Iraq seek justice?” he asked. How can the Security Council act “when the occupiers themselves are permanent members of the council”?
He called on the UN General Assembly “to rescue the Security Council from its current state” by including envoys from Africa, the Middle East and the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM).
Addressing allegations that Iran wants nuclear weaponry, Mr Ahmadinejad said his country’s programme was conducted “under the watchful eye of (International Atomic Energy Agency) inspectors”.
“Which governments object to these rights? Governments that themselves benefit from nuclear energy and the fuel cycle,” Mr Ahmadinejad said.
He said: “Some of them have abused nuclear technology for non-peaceful ends, including the production of nuclear bombs, and some even have a bleak record of using them against humanity”— a reference to the United States, the only country to ever use a nuclear weapon in wartime.
“What do they need these weapons for?” he asked. “How long should the people of the world live with the nightmare of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons?”