The United Nations renews its welcome of the announcement of a US-Iranian agreement, and calls for a humanitarian corridor in the Strait of Hormuz

During the sixty-second session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, Awa Dabo, UN Deputy Commissioner for Human Rights, spoke about how the world’s energy supply network was affected by the disturbances in the Strait of Hormuz.

The crisis erupted on February 28 when the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran, followed by Iranian attacks on Gulf Arab states and Jordan. The crisis has seriously affected air traffic and the flow of humanitarian supplies.

Awa Dabo provided the Human Rights Council with an update on the impacts of Iranian attacks on Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan.

She went on to say: “Economists warn that failure to open the Strait of Hormuz will throw some of the world’s most vulnerable economies into chaos, increasing poverty and hunger for millions of people.”

She stressed the need to provide the necessary resources to specialized United Nations agencies to prevent a food security crisis at the international level.

Also speaking before the Human Rights Council, the Permanent Representative of the UAE to the United Nations in Geneva, Jamal Al-Mushrif, expressed hope that the ongoing negotiations on the Middle East crisis would lead to an end to the attacks.

He added that his country “has been targeted since February 28 by more than 300 ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drone attacks.”

The Iranian ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, Ali Bahraini, insisted that his country “used its right to self-defense in accordance with international law, while some Iranians carried out indiscriminate aerial bombardment.”

He said that Iran “If it accepts the ceasefire despite its shortcomings and subsequent challenges, it does so out of a deep sense of responsibility.”

International welcome

IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez said that the announcement of an agreement is an important step towards restoring the safety of sailors and ships in the vital Strait of Hormuz, in addition to protecting the basic principle of freedom of navigation.

Volker Türk, United Nations Commissioner for Human Rights, also welcomed the announcement of the agreement and said that the conflict had a devastating impact on human rights in the region and the world. He pointed to the serious effects on the global economy, the delivery of humanitarian aid and the most vulnerable people, including about 20,000 sailors on ships stuck in the region’s ports.

Yesterday, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed the announcement of reaching an agreement. He expressed the hope that the parties would build on this new momentum and redouble their efforts towards reaching a final solution to the conflict.

He reiterated the United Nations’ full readiness to support the parties in achieving a lasting and comprehensive peace.