Iran committed to peace in West Asia: envoy

TEHRAN – Iran has expressed its willingness to play an active role in addressing challenges and promoting peace and security in West Asia through cooperation with the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and the United Nations.

The announcement was made by Iran’s Ambassador to the UN, Amir Saeed Iravani, during a meeting of the UN Security Council that focused on cooperation between the UN and regional organizations.

Iravani stressed the growing importance of enhancing cooperation between the UN and regional organizations to address the complexities of the global environment. He noted that maintaining international peace and security now requires coordinated responses at the national, regional and international levels.

“Improving cooperation between the United Nations and regional organizations is more important than ever,” Iravani said. He stressed that regional organizations have unique insights into local issues, and offer tailor-made preventive mechanisms and realistic solutions to emerging conflicts, which can facilitate peaceful and political solutions.

Iran values ​​the role of regional bodies such as the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), the SCO and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) in strengthening peace and stability. Iravani pointed out that Iran sees cooperation between these organizations and the UN as crucial for enhancing security and development, which are closely linked.

Iravani also addressed key concerns for Iran, such as drug trafficking and transnational organized crime, and presented these issues as opportunities for practical interaction between the UN and the SCO. He praised the SCO’s multifaceted structure, which supports international efforts in conflict prevention, counterterrorism and combating illicit drugs.

The ambassador stressed that strengthening partnerships with organizations such as the SCO is essential for effectively tackling terrorism, transnational crime and other emerging threats, thereby contributing to global peace and development. Iran’s full membership in the SCO was officially approved last year, and the country actively participated in the 24th SCO Summit in Astana earlier this month.

Iravani further expressed Iran’s support for closer cooperation between the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and SCO member states to combat illicit drug trafficking and organized crime. He stressed the importance of joint efforts to enhance stability and development in Afghanistan, a country facing major humanitarian challenges.

“Given the pressing challenges Afghanistan faces, we believe that enhanced UN-SCO cooperation has significant potential to promote stability and development in Afghanistan,” Iravani said. He suggested that joint efforts in security, economic development, humanitarian assistance, political support and regional integration could contribute to a more stable and prosperous Afghanistan.

According to Iravani, Iran is ready to engage in dialogue and cooperation within the frameworks of the SCO and the UN to address pressing challenges and promote peace and security in the region.

Afghanistan is grappling with multiple economic, social and security challenges after two decades of U.S. occupation. Since Washington’s military withdrawal from the war-torn country in 2021, the White House has frozen billions of dollars in Afghan assets under various pretexts, further exacerbating the plight of Afghan civilians.

The United Nations estimates that 23.7 million Afghans will need humanitarian assistance in 2024, highlighting the urgent need for coordinated international efforts to address the ongoing crisis in the country.

Iran, which hosts the world’s largest number of Afghan refugees, has called on regional and extra-regional countries and international bodies to help Tehran alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. It has also repeatedly condemned the US for obscuring efforts to establish peace and security in the war-torn country.