Minister Ronald Lamola: 39th Special Session of the Human Rights Council of the deteriorating human rights situation in Iran

Mr President,

South Africa reiterates its commitment to multilateralism and stands for the firm adherence to the international rule of law. South Africa believes that the right to peaceful protest, freedom of expression, and freedom of association are universal rights that must be upheld and protected, as enshrined in international human rights law. In this regard, all efforts must be expended to ensure the protection of the right to life, which remains sacrosanct.

We are disturbed by the reports of violence, including the deaths and destruction of property during the demonstrations, and express our solidarity and condolences for the tragic loss of life. These deaths should be investigated promptly, and violators must be held accountable. We are concerned at reports that show that there has been direct interference by external actors to sow divisions and deepen instability in Iran. To this end, we support the call for an Independent Enquiry that will ascertain the breaches of human rights by all.

Furthermore, South Africa calls on the Iranian authorities to ensure that any action taken must accord with the principles of legality, necessity, proportionality, and precaution. We therefore urge maximum restraint.

Mr President,

The grievances of the Iranian people need to be heard and addressed, and not instrumentalised by anyone, as the High Commissioner articulated in his statement of 13 January 2026, a point the resolution regrettably does not take into account.

We all need to adhere to the rules that we have collectively agreed to that govern our work. In the context of the Human Rights Council (HRC), we have agreed through resolution 5/1, paragraph 60, that “country mandate periods will be one year”. Yet the draft resolution before us conflicts with this decision. This deviation is of major concern to my delegation.

It also does not adequately account for the need to adhere to the United Nations (UN) Charter, which mandates all Member States to refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state. These developments only serve to fuel instability, which is of no benefit to the Iranian people, nor to the security of the region or the world.

A sustainable peace can only be achieved through solutions that centre dialogue and the agency of the Iranian people.

I thank you.

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