Now that Antonio Guterres’s services as the ninth UN Secretary-General is nearing to its end and it lays the ground for electing a more effective person for the job, we should evaluate his performance and give him a mark and in my opinion with such a very weak performance under influence of the world big powers he cannot get the passing grade.

His re-nomination for the job, regarding the structure of electing the UN Secretary-General officially and directly under the supervision of the five permanent and veto-right holding members, raises a question that has remained unanswered in all periods.

With reviewing different periods, the world is witnessing this important issue that there has scarcely been any secretary-general at the UN to have performed at least 10 percent independently. It is deplorable that secretary generals of the UN have not been able to implement the goals which have been approved, written, and published by the UN and it has disappointed and frustrated the world people towards this body and it should be admitted that unfortunately the predicted goals and principles in the UN charters have also deviated or they have lost their efficiency and effects.

When we analyze the role of the UN Secretary-General, we find contents fully biased wherein American, British, and French and – to the little extent of placebo – Russian and Chinese goals are hidden. Therefore, the UN Secretary-General is actually struggling with this accusation of being busy as the brokerage of big powers and indeed he cannot have the necessary efficiency to vindicate the undoubted rights of the world people and even those who have suffered.

The weak performance of Guterres as the UN Secretary-General regarding some important international issues has been actually the shameful spot in the performance of this organization during his term. With a glance and very brief, one can mention that in this edition, some serious crisis has happened internationally that the UN ignored its role regarding them like the issue of Daesh (IS forces) which was not only the issue of deviation but also it really created a sham state between Iraq and Syria by committing rape against women, and some countries like Saudi Arabia and the UAE even took some actions for recognizing that government.

The disaster was that no country tried to stop the advancement of this terrorist group and sham government and if there was, and it was the Islamic Republic of Iran which bravely fought and resisted strongly and devoted several martyrs on this path otherwise today we could face with the emergence of second Israel in the region while the UN with this secretary-general had chocked into silence. Of the other signs of the inefficiency of Guterres or any other secretary-general of the UN is that in the structure of the UN, electing the secretary-general is fully in control of the five veto power countries and wherever these countries either clandestinely or even openly deal together politically, the world sees the cruel silence of the UN and its secretary because in electing the secretary-general all of these veto powers in the UN Security Council should approve the candidate and this approval is not just limited to electing the secretary-general and for other jobs in this body, the story is the same. For example in electing the financial deputy of the UN, the French are very sensitive and they pick their favorite candidates in advance and announce who is next to run the financial department of the UN.

On social and political issues, the British pick their candidates for the jobs. In the military and critical issues, it is the U.S. that picks its official agent. So it is seen that Americans have entered Iraq and Iraq parliament has officially approved the pullout of the U.S. troops but they create different pretexts and are not ready to pull out their forces from Iraq. The U.N. Secretary-General takes no action to settle this issue. The UN is totally silent regarding the international terrorism led by the U.S., Saudi Arabia, and the Zionist regime. The assassination of martyr Haj Qasem Soleimani, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, and their comrades was snubbed by the U.N. blindness and speechlessness. It also fully ignored killing and dismembering the corpse of Saudi Arabian journalist and critic Jamal Khashoggi in Turkey.

The UN has actually violated its own convention in pushing the world towards terrorism from the assassination of nuclear scientists to the political and security assassinations. Violation of diplomatic rights, Conventions 1961 and 1963 and especially the Convention 1961, violation of human rights convention and diplomatic conventions have meant disregarding the UN by the UN itself that the Secretary-General could have played a more effective role in these regards but because of being under influence of the U.S. or other big powers, he has unfortunately left the worst performance regarding the assassination of Marty Soleimani and some other issues.

In the issue of Iran’s ballistic missiles, every country has the right to have ballistic missiles and it is considered as the defensive pillar and essentially it has nothing to do with any other country to stop other countries in this regard. But Americans did what they could against Iran as if there existed no UN Secretary-General to explain and defend the rightfulness of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Recently and on the anniversary of Mabaath, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution in his speech said one of the modus operandi of enemies in the soft war is to distort the truth 180 degrees and referred to some of the obvious lies and said, “It has been six years now that the U.S.’s Arab ally has been bombarding the oppressed people of Yemen in their homes and on the streets, in hospitals and at school. The people have been besieged and their supplies of food, medicine, and oil have been cut off. And of course, this has happened with the U.S.’s go-ahead. Now the Yemenis have managed to create defensive weapons for themselves by benefiting from certain opportunities, they and even the UN raised an outcry against Yemen’s campaign of self-defense.”

The Leader also stated that “Having the largest nuclear weapons arsenal in the world and massacring over 220,000 people by A-Bomb while screaming that they are against the development of atomic weapons,” “Creating the terrorist group like the Daesh and providing them with money, facilities, modern technology and media, the ground for selling Syria’s oil by them with the claim of a fight with terrorism” are the other examples of distortion of the truth by the U.S. Administration and the UN’s deadly silence.

On the whole, it should be acknowledged that not only Guterres but also the UN nature in the current condition, before being a defender of truth, rights, and security of the countries and the world, is mostly a justifier of power and tyranny current and massacre of the innocent people in any part of the world, and as long as this issue is not resolved, the universal disaster will not be resolved, either.

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IRAN NEWS POLITICAL DESK

TEHRAN – United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the Security Council on Saturday he cannot take any action on a U.S. declaration that all U.N. sanctions on Iran had been reimposed because “there would appear to be uncertainty” on the issue.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said last month that he triggered a 30-day process at the council leading to the return of U.N. sanctions on Iran on Saturday evening that would also stop a conventional arms embargo on Tehran from expiring on Oct. 18.

But 13 of the 15 Security Council members say Washington’s move is void because Pompeo used a mechanism agreed under a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers, which the United States quit in 2018.

“There would appear to be uncertainty whether or not the process … was indeed initiated and concomitantly whether or not the (sanctions) terminations … continue in effect,” Guterres wrote in a letter to the council, seen by Reuters.

“It is not for the Secretary-General to proceed as if no such uncertainty exists,” he said.

U.N. officials provide administrative and technical support to the Security Council to implement its sanctions regimes and Guterres appoints independent experts to monitor implementation. He said that “pending clarification” of the status of the Iran sanctions, he would not take any action to provide that support.

Meanwhile Iran in a statement rejected the United States’ claim that international sanctions against the Islamic Republic are back in force, warning that it will show a serious reaction if Washington or its regional cronies make any move in line with its anti-Iran threats.

What follows is the full text of the statement released on Sunday, September 20, 2020:

The United States falsely claims that the UN Security Council sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran are back in effect at a time when the Council has basically rejected a demand by the US, as a non-signatory to the JCPOA, to trigger the trend of reinstating the sanctions. Moreover, such a trend never got started in the first place to produce a result today. The US secretary of state himself knows well that his claim regarding the reinstatement of UN Security Council sanctions is groundless and invalid and lacks any legal effect. Therefore, he, using his own notorious method, tries to intimidate other countries by threatening to slap international sanctions on them, which is the best testament to the United States’ admission of failure in its effort at the UN Security Council.

As the Islamic Republic of Iran has reiterated time and again, the US regime is the biggest threat to world peace and security. This reality had never been exposed as much it has today when the US is overtly threatening and intimidating the world and ignores UN Security Council resolutions.

In 2018, when the United States unilaterally withdrew from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in breach of clearly stipulated international regulations, and waived any right to use the mechanisms inserted in the accord and in Resolution 2231, it (the US) hoped it would bring Iran to the dilemma of submission or collapse by using the so-called ‘maximum pressure’ strategy.

However, two years on since then, the US is now more isolated than ever in advancing the project of portraying Iran as a security threat. Frustrated at having failed to build a consensus against Iran, the US has turned to bullying and holding the international community to ransom. At a time when almost all members of the UN Security Council have straightforwardly rejected the United States’ ludicrous approach vis-à-vis UN Security Council Resolution 2231, the US regime is, in line with its unilateral and force-oriented policy, threatening to impose sanctions against world countries for their compliance with international regulations.

The Islamic Republic of Iran regards the US secretary of state’s wrathful statements as measures which are only good for domestic political use and which are the result of weakness and disappointment and hearing repeated “No’s” from the international community in recent months as well as back-to-back defeats against Iran’s active diplomacy. Iran recommends the US president not isolate himself and his country at the international level any further by consulting people who are unfamiliar with the global situation.

The approach adopted by the current U.S. regime amounts to a big danger to international peace and security as well as an unprecedented threat to the UN and the Security Council. This time, the US secretary of state has not only ridiculed all principles of international law and the UN Charter, but also challenges the international community officially and openly, and converts his government’s bullying and recalcitrance from behind-the-scenes actions into an openly flagrant move.

The Islamic Republic of Iran emphasizes that if the US makes any move in line with these threats, whether alone or in cahoots with the few cronies of its own, it will be met with serious reaction and will be responsible for all the dangerous consequences of its move.

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According To Iran News, United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Monday that the COVID-19 pandemic is the greatest challenge of our age and it must be a wake-up call for all nations.

Delivering a speech through a video link to the 73rd World Health Assembly, the UN chief said that the COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated our global fragility, and despite the enormous scientific and technological advances of recent decades, “a microscopic virus has brought us to our knees.”

“Deadly global threats require a new unity and solidarity,” he stressed, Xinhua news agency reported.

Guterres reiterated a three-point response he and the UN have advocated for since the beginning of the pandemic: a large-scale, coordinated and comprehensive health response; policies to address the devastating social and economic dimensions of the crisis; more equal, inclusive and sustainable economies and societies.

“Instead of going back to systems that were unsustainable, we need to make a leap into a future of clean energy, inclusivity and equality, and stronger social safety nets, including universal health coverage,” he said, adding that multilateral efforts will be needed in this regard.

In his speech, Guterres also highlighted the importance of the World Health Organization (WHO) and paid tribute to the front-line health workers.

Saying that the WHO is irreplaceable, the UN chief told the conference that the entire UN family stands with the WHO and its staff working worldwide to support member states in saving lives and protecting the vulnerable.

“Either we get through this pandemic together, or we fail. Either we stand together, or we fall apart,” he said.

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“Once we have finally turned the page on COVID-19, there will be time to look back fully and understand how such a disease emerged and spread its devastation so quickly across the globe, and how all those involved reacted to the crisis. The lessons learned will be essential to address similar challenges effectively, as they may arise in the future. But now is not that time. Nor is it the time to reduce the resources for the operations of the World Health Organization or any other humanitarian organization in the fight against the virus”, Guterres said.

He described the coronavirus pandemic as “unprecedented in our lifetime” and therefore requiring an “unprecedented response.”

“The World Health Organization is leading our response to the pandemic by supporting countries to prepare and to address the virus, with special attention to the most vulnerable countries”, the UN chief said, Sputnik, reported.

Guterres reiterated his call for a global ceasefire amid the pandemic, saying that the United Nations was working with more than 100 governments and armed groups which had pledged commitment to a humanitarian truce to turn their endorsements into action.

In April, US President Donald Trump ordered that his country’s funding be halted for the WHO over negligence, claiming that the UN health agency had impeded the global response to the pandemic and let it spread by covering up the true scale of the COVID-19 initial outbreak China.

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“Together, we will defeat this virus and rebuild a fairer world — as united global citizens and united nations,” the UN chief said in his video message for “One World: Together At Home” concert organized by international advocacy organization Global Citizen.

“We face a crisis unlike any other. To overcome it, we must unite,” he said.

“Tonight, through the universal language of music, we salute the bravery and sacrifice of health heroes and others,” said the secretary-general, Xinhua news agency reported.

“As we do so, let’s remember the most vulnerable,” he said. “Please join our call for a global ceasefire to focus on our common enemy — the virus.”

“Thank you for your support for the lifesaving work of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the other humanitarian agencies,” said Guterres.

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In a telephone conversation on Saturday, Zarif and Guterres held talks about the unilateral American sanctions against Iran.

The two officials also exchanged views on the latest developments in Yemen.

Back in March, Zarif sent a letter to the UN Secretary-General, denouncing the US’ sanctions as a major obstacle to the Islamic Republic’s fight against the coronavirus and urging that such unilateral and illegal sanctions should end.

Zarif emphasized in the letter that despite Iran’s scientific capabilities and the commitment that the country’s health system has shown to the fight against the coronavirus outbreak, the US’ sanctions on legal trade and the preconditions that the United States’ authorities have set recently in order to prevent the sale of medicine, medical equipment, and humanitarian supplies have posed serious obstacles to the efforts to battle against the COVID-19 outbreak in Iran.

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TEHRAN (Iran News) – United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in his message on World Radio Day, 13 February 2020, called for recognition of radio’s enduring power to promote diversity and help build a more peaceful and inclusive world.

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