Iran’s Zarif Meets Heads of International Bodies in Geneva

During his stay in Switzerland on Tuesday, Zarif separately met United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross Peter Maurer, and Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Francis Gurry.

In the meeting with ex-Chilean president Michelle Bachelet, Zarif referred to Iran’s reliance on domestic public support as the only sustainable factor in preserving its national security, and said respecting the principles of human rights is not only an ethical commitment but also a national security requirement.

The Iranian minister also denounced any arbitrary issuance of human rights resolutions against the Islamic Republic and expressed regret over the instrumental use of the concept of human rights and the abuse of the UN’s human rights mechanism as a means of exerting pressure on independent states.

He further deplored the unilateral, illegal and brutal sanctions imposed by the US against the Iranian people as a stark violation of human rights, and appreciated the good stances of the UN special rapporteur on unilateral and coercive measures.

For her part, Bachelet voiced her preparedness to establish constructive and useful interaction with the Islamic Republic.

In another get-together, Zarif and the president of the International Committee of the Red Cross discussed ways for mutual cooperation on Yemen, Syria and Afghanistan.

Zarif once again expressed Tehran’s preparedness to take part in humanitarian projects in the crisis-hit countries.

The two sides also discussed the US unilateral food and medicine sanctions on Iran and stressed the need for international bodies to step in to end the sanctions.

In the meeting with WIPO Director General Francis Gurry, Zarif pointed to Iran’s plans to change the focus from oil-based to knowledge-based economy, highlighting the significance of intellectual property issues in this regard.

Stressing the need for multilateralism in the international arena, Zarif decried the punitive, unilateral and illegal sanctions as destructive for scientific and technological progress of the nations.

For his part, Gurry hailed Iran as an active and constructive actor in the area of multilateralism and activities of international organizations.

The World Intellectual Property Organization is one of the 15 specialized agencies of the United Nations.

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