Multilateralism only means of guaranteeing intl. peace, security: Iran’s top parliamentarian

The Iranian parliament speaker says multilateralism should not be perceived as an option, but as the only means of resolving the world’s standing problems and guaranteeing peace and security across the globe.

"In today's world, multilateralism and global solidarity ... constitute the most important way out of [the existing] global challenges and attainment of peace as well as sustainable and just security for the generations to come,” Mohammad-Baqer Qalibaf told the second day of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU)’s fifth annual conference.

For that to happen, countries have to oppose whatever unilateral and illegal plan, measure or policy on various levels and have their parliaments approve laws that enable such opposition, Iran’s top parliamentarian added.

Governments also have to be demanded to “seriously” consider confronting unilateralism in their foreign relations, he noted.

‘COVID-19, an eye-opener’

The patchwork international response to the COVID-19 outbreak revealed to the humanity how it is stuck “in a contradictory situation” these days, when the problem is international in aspect, but the global response is sporadic and unfocused, Qalibaf regretted.

He cited the case of certain countries’ non-commitment to the international agreements and institutions that they, themselves, have helped take shape, apparently referring to the United States’ withdrawal from the World Health Organization that took place last month, and its threat to start redirecting the funds that it has been contributing to the body.

US formally starts withdrawal from WHO

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday formally started the withdrawal of the United States from the World Health Organization, making good on threats to deprive the UN body of its top funding source over its response to the coronavirus.

Washington’s departure from the WHO mirrored the administration of US President Donald Trump’s betrayal of many other international arrangements, including the Paris climate deal and the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement.

Iran urges US to end its ‘abject unilateralism'

Iran says the United States must stop seeking to secure its short-term interests at the cost of other nations

Qalibafi said such countries “refuse to respect the fundamental principle of multilateralism, that is [ensuring] the rule of law, even amid these special circumstances.”

‘US world’s top lawbreaker’

“Today, the US is leading the pack of outlaw political establishments,” he added.

The current international situation has led the international community to the belief that world bodies such as the United Nations have either failed to perform their duties towards peace, security, and development or have been subjugated by the US and others, the parliament speaker said.

The overall circumstances have faced the world with the challenge of “redefining, rebuilding, and revisiting the faulty multilateralism [principles] of the past,” Qalibaf noted.

He finally asserted that the IPU’s meetings should feature common cooperation with the UN towards restoring the trust that has been lost in the international will for multilateralism.

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