The Iranian Moment at the UN: Reinvigorating Diplomacy
At moments of great peril, Iran has always solved conflicts and disputes through diplomacy. As one of founders of the League of Nations and United Nations, it sought UN oriented solution to the war imposed on her by Iraq. It reproached the world through United Nation by initiating or supporting international actions, and proposing “dialogue among civilizations.” In recent years, it also used UN and international organizations as platform for its fiery rhetoric criticizing the world. Today, the United Nations is at the heart of one of defining moments of Iran’s diplomacy since the Islamic revolution.
Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani is in New York to attend UN General Assembly amidst high expectations of a diplomatic initiative with regards to Iran’s nuclear issue, or a breakthrough in Iran-US relations. The world is expecting to hear a new Iranian voice from a new face; different to one which sought Iran’s participation in “joint global governance,” seeking the move of UN headquarter from New York to elsewhere, calling UN resolutions “not worth a penny” and weighing controversial challenges.
Iran’s new administration is pursuing a strategy of constructive engagement. A strategy that multilateralism and partnership with International Organizations are one of its core components. This is the first time in Iranian history that a foreign policy expert is elected as president with a clear foreign policy mandate. Furthermore, both himself and his foreign minister are international law scholars. They are fully aware of existing international norms and principles. They know how to talk their way with an international diplomatic language rather than fiery rhetorics, and understands the role of International Organizations. Rouhani administration will be harnessing its knowledge, experience, skills and power to reinvigorate the Iranian diplomacy. United Nations is the first step of this diplomacy. Iran is looking forward to UN General Assembly, both the summit itself and meetings at it sideline, to renew its relationship with Europeans, strengthen its ties with neighboring countries, reaffirm its alliances, strengthen its capacity as the President of Non-Aligned Movement, and seek new friends while cooling down the heat of enmities. It will also
Other than the meeting between Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and EU Foreign Policy Commissioner Catherine Ashton, rumors have it that a meeting of P5+1 with Iran is possible too. The meeting with Ashton and possibility of meeting P5+1 signifies a shift from Iran’s recent policy of seeking “neutral ground for negotiations” (i.e. Almaty, Baghdad and etc), to accepting New York as negotiating venue. Small and symbolic shift, but meaningful.
Moving beyond the nuclear case
In recent years, nuclear case is dominating Iran’s relationship with UN and other international organizations. In early days of Islamic revolution, the view towards international organizations was pessimistic, mainly due to their “western nature”. This belief was fostered by almost worldwide silence during the Iran-Iraq war, especially instances of chemical attacks against Iran by Saddam Hussein, and “the politics of UN” leading to not being an arbiter only until its end. However, in 1990s, Iran’s rapprochement needed UN and international organizations as paths of multilateralism. After years of fruitful cooperations, 2000s witnessed souring relationships between IOs and Iran (mainly due to international politics) with reduction in substantive participation and ineffective initiations.
International organizations are about multilateralism and for Iran, in order to renew its engagement, it must rededicates itself to them and their mission, because institutions such as UN are necessary to tackle threats to further strengthen the international peace and security. The status of Iran and, mutual lack of cooperation in recent years, is one of the reasons that international organizations are not inclusive of Iranian experts. An issue that might be tackled during Rouhani’s presidency as the foreign ministry is keen in active participation in international mechanisms and procedures, even by raising Iran’s share in international office holders.
However, Iran would be more focused on substantive and policy issues. Terrorism, WMDs, regional stability, economics and development, environment, human rights, drug trafficking, refugees, and of course, political crisis within the Middle East would certainly part of the agenda of the Iran-IO relationship. In addition, the new administration will strengthen its public diplomacy efforts through cultural and scientific cooperations with International Organizations, especially as the foreign minister himself is keen on such relations.
Human Rights is one of key issues that would be next on agenda if the nuclear issue is off the table. Alongside formal diplomacy and fostering partnerships with international bodies, Iran might pursue a track II diplomacy by engaging scholars and alike in roundtables and negotiations. It will also use its capacity as the President of Non-Aligned Movement to build partnership within the Human Rights Council. Simultaneously, it will define what it stands for as Muslim nation, and must once again signify that Islamic Republic of Iran remains true to its founding values of justice, peace, respect and tolerance, enshrined in Islam. Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and its adopted documents, would be one of Iran’s main avenue of cooperation.
The OIC could also be an effective platform to rebuild regional partnerships, as Iran will renew its efforts through such regional institutions and mechanisms, while exhibiting the costs and benefits of an effective partnership with its neighbors. An idea of a regional institution was floating around years ago among some of current officials, which might come into action during coming years as Rouhani attempts to rebuild ties across the region. For Iran, the region is not limited to the Middle East. Central Asia is also a key region. Rouhani’s first abroad trip was to attend Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit, signifying its geopolitical reach and desire of active and substantive participation in regional and international process.
Pursuing cooperation with international organizations does not mean ignoring to need to revising or reforming them. Given Iran’s pivotal role in the region and its globally-shared opinions on UN reform, it must establish its leadership both as the President of the Non-Aligned Movement and as a regional mighty to pursue reforms within international organizations, especially UN organs. However, it is doubtful that such task would be taken on if the nuclear case is not out of the Security Council.
Rouhani understands the importance of International Organizations. Apart from years of public service, since 1992 he was (and in fact, still, is) the Director of the Center for Strategic Research, an institute with wide-ranging publications and researches on foreign policy and international relations conducted by ex-diplomats, key figures and leading scholars. One of their recent endeavors is publishing Iran’s first journal of International Organization, with the current foreign minister and many officials on its editorial or advisory board. This publication signifies their interest in this topic, and underlines its importance in their worldview, which now is in power in Iran. Almost all of Iran’s new foreign policy team either started their career from Iran’s mission to the UN, or continued it there, or somehow played a role in Iran’s strategy vis-a-vis IO’s until recent years.
There is no coincidence that Iran’s key foreign policy initiatives and actions would be taking place at the sideline of a key UN summit. Rouhani and his team are exhibiting their understanding of costs of ignoring international bodies by reaffirming their commitment and (in some cases) scholarly works by pursuing constructive engagement to save the World from the “Scourge of War” and to maintain international peace and security. This is expected to be the Iranian moment.