Racial discrimination continues 20 years after DDPA adoption

The following is the full text of the speech by the Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian at the high-level meeting of the UN General Assembly to commemorate the twentieth anniversary of the adoption of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action on Wednesday, which is republished from the official website of the Iranian Foreign Ministry:

بسم ‏الله الرحمن الرحیم

Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen,

On the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, I would like to offer my gratitude to all who endeavored in favor of the elevation of human dignity and contributed to the drafting of the DDPA.

It is regrettable that two decades after the adoption of the DDPA, the world suffers from revived forms of racial discrimination. The murder of George Floyd in Minnesota, along with international outcry against emerging Islamophobia, shows that the international community must identify major obstacles in the way of combating racism and take serious action for its elimination.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

After the victory of the Islamic Revolution, the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran, contrary to the former regime’s close ties with certain racist entities, decided to stand alongside the people of South Africa in their noble struggle against Apartheid. That was strongly highlighted and commended during a visit to Iran by the late South African President, Nelson Mandela.

As the new Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran, I am honored to announce that my Nation’s willpower is dedicated to the total elimination of all forms of racial discrimination, including Apartheid and Zionism. These are crimes that constitute horrible atrocities, such as child killing and the creeping occupation through settlements which extends to the proximity of Al-Aqsa Mosque.

"That was strongly highlighted and commended during a visit to Iran by the late South African President, Nelson Mandela.As the new Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran, I am honored to announce that my Nation’s willpower is dedicated to the total elimination of all forms of racial discrimination, including Apartheid and Zionism"Such violations amount to crimes against humanity and only by shared resolve of the international community in cooperation, solidarity and zero-tolerance in combating racial discrimination, can these crimes be countered.

Dear audience,

The Islamic Republic of Iran welcomes initiatives, such as the establishment of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent, in order to create improvements for their livelihood all over the globe.

The new challenges born out of racial discrimination add to the urgency of updating international documents to counter inappropriate procedures. The most inhumane of such challenges is unilateral coercive measures which the U.S. regime imposes against the people of Iran, Cuba, Syria, Venezuela and other independent nations. The UCMs have exposed hundreds of millions of human beings to discrimination only on account of their nationality. To those who are addicted to sanctions, I have to recall that even seven years after the adoption of the DDPA, Nelson Mandela and his party still remained on the U.S.

sanctions list despite the complete demolishment of Apartheid in this country.

Thank you for your attention – و السلام علیکم و رحمة الله و برکاته