Statement By Representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran Before The Human Rights Council 55th Session Item 4: General Debate Geneva, 21 March 2024 بسم الله الرحمن الرحیم     Mr. President,   The Islamic Republic of Iran associates itself with the statements of the groups it belongs to.   My delegation resonates the voice of many others in this room insisting that the work of this council should be based on principles of universality, impartiality, objectivity and non-selectivity.   Unfortunately, today, Item 4 of the council has turned to a battle field for political quarrels and contrasts; Those countries who have tried to have an independent strategy and policy are being targeted; and dual mechanisms and monitoring procedures have been created for them. The irony is that most of the countries under scrutiny in item 4, are also subject to unlawful and illegitimate Unilateral Coercive Measures. Combination of pressure and sanctions will debilitate the capacity of states as the main responsible and focal point for promotion and protection of human rights in pursuit of their duties and contradicts with the main and primary goal of this council.            Mr. President.   No country can claim to have a perfect human rights record; But the way this council under item 4 decides to react to each of them is not defendable. Increasing rate of islamophobia in some European countries, racial discrimination in United States, anti-migrants’ policies in UK and supporting genocide and crimes against humanity by occupying forces in Palestine by Germany has never been the subject of special monitoring of this council because of the dictatorship of majority voting that is mostly formed by political and economic pressures.             I thank you Mr. President.