A/78/PV.83 General Assembly

It is my sad duty to pay tribute to the memory of the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, His Excellency Mr. Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi, who passed away 19 May 2024. On behalf of the General Assembly, I should like to convey our condolences to the Government and the people of the Islamic Republic of Iran and to the bereaved family of His Excellency Mr. Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi. We gather in this Hall today to offer our deepest condolences to the Government and the people of Iran, following the passing of His Excellency Mr. Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi, President of the Islamic Republic. Together with his entourage, His Excellency President Raisi died in a helicopter crash incident on 19 May 2024, which occurred in a mountainous northern region of East Azerbaijan province. Throughout his career, His Excellency President Raisi held significant roles in Iranian society and Government, and, as President, led his country’s contribution to shaping the tenets of our multilateral system and international cooperation. A mere 10 months before his demise, in September 2023, His Excellency President Raisi addressed the General Assembly at the general debate of the Assembly at its seventy-eighth session (see A/78/PV.5), clearly articulating his country’s priorities as well as the values underpinning Iran’s posture in promoting multilateralism and international cooperation. Today we also honour the memory of Foreign Minister Mr. Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, a consummate diplomat, who faithfully stood alongside President Raisi in representing Iran on the global stage. On 21 September 2023, soon after assuming my role as President of the General Assembly, I had the distinct pleasure of receiving, unknowingly for the last time, Foreign Minister Amir-Abdollahian for a bilateral meeting in my office, and I greatly appreciated his diplomatic acumen. I encourage the Iranian people to gather courage and come to terms with their profound loss. I am confident that their resilience will guide them to demonstrate remarkable strength in this difficult time of mourning. I also have no doubt that Iran, as a sovereign founding State Member of the United Nations, will look beyond the passing of His Excellency President Raisi and continue its engagement in shaping contemporary international relations. As the country embarks on the ensuing leadership transition, I take this opportunity to recall the request conveyed by the Permanent Mission of Iran in its letter of 20 May for the international community’s support to overcome this tragedy and continue on the path of peace and development. Let us use this moment as an occasion to bid farewell to His Excellency President Raisi and offer to his people and the Government of Iran our deepest condolences. May His Excellency and all those who perished with him rest in peace. I now invite representatives to stand and observe a minute of silence in tribute to the memory of His Excellency Mr. Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi.

I now give the floor to the Secretary- General of the United Nations, His Excellency Mr. António Guterres.

We gather just days after the tragic accident on 19 May that claimed the lives of His Excellency Mr. Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and his entourage, including His Excellency Mr. Amir-Abdollahian, Minister for Foreign Affairs, and seven others. I would like to take this opportunity to extend my condolences to the families of the deceased, and to the Government and the people of the Islamic Republic of Iran. President Raisi led Iran at a challenging time for the country, the region and globally. Just hours before his death, President Raisi met with his Azerbaijani counterpart to inaugurate the Qiz Qalasi dam, the largest joint water project between the two countries. In these difficult times, international and regional cooperation are indeed needed more than ever. Such cooperation is critical to building confidence, preventing conflict and resolving disputes. I wish to assure the Assembly that the United Nations stands in solidarity with the Iranian people and in the quest for peace, development and fundamental freedoms. For that, the United Nations will be guided by the Charter to help realize peace and security, sustainable development and human rights for all. As the Islamic Republic of Iran mourns the death of President Raisi and his companions, I once again offer my deepest condolences to its Government and people.

I thank the Secretary-General. I now give the floor to the representative of Burundi, who will speak on behalf of the Group of African States.

The Republic of Burundi has the honour of making this statement on behalf of the Group of African States. The African Group extends its deepest condolences to the Government and the people of the Islamic Republic of Iran for the tragic loss of their President, His Excellency Mr. Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families, friends and loved ones of this distinguished leader who dedicated his entire life to serving his nation and fostering international cooperation, especially with African countries. May his memory serve as a lasting inspiration to us all. The late President Ebrahim Raisi was a visionary whose dedication to the principles of equity, fraternity, solidarity and multilateralism was evident throughout his tenure. His commitment to fostering cooperation between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Africa was unwavering. Under his leadership, Iran-Africa relations grew in various sectors, including trade, education and health. These collaborations have had a lasting impact on the development and progress of our nations. The late President Raisi pledged to foster cooperation between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Africa, thanks to his dedicated efforts and unwavering adherence to the principles of equity, fraternity, solidarity and multilateralism. His inaugural visit to Kenya and his most recent visit to Zimbabwe are sufficient evidence of his commitment to strengthening ties with Africa. Moreover, his contacts with many African leaders here in New York conveyed a powerful message of hope and collective effort for a better world for our peoples. Accordingly, he sent his Foreign Minister to visit Africa and meet with African leaders to promote the same spirit of unity and prosperity for the continent. His dedicated efforts inspire us to continue striving for a better future and a more equitable world for our people, especially the people of Africa, who historically have been left behind. President Raisi’s legacy will live on in the hearts and minds of those who continue to work for the ideals he championed. Once again, we extend our deepest condolences to the Government and the people of the Islamic Republic of Iran for their tragic loss. May the souls of the departed rest in peace.

I now give the floor to the representative of Vanuatu, who will speak on behalf of the Group of Asia-Pacific States.

On behalf of the Group of Asia-Pacific States, I would like to express our deepest and sincerest condolences to our fellow member of the Group, the Government and the people of the Islamic Republic of Iran, as well as to our colleagues at the Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran, on the passing on 19 May of their President, His Excellency Ayatollah Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi, their Foreign Minister, Hossein Amir Abdollahian and other officials. It is with great sorrow and disbelief that we have learned of the tragic passing of the President and his companions. We join our colleagues at the Permanent Mission and the people of the Islamic Republic of Iran in mourning their heartbreaking loss, while keeping the families of the deceased in our thoughts and prayers. The late President served the people of Iran with great dedication and passion. During his tenure he worked tirelessly to promote growth, justice and progress. His leadership and vision inspired a new generation of Iranians to work for a brighter future for their country, and his legacy continues to be felt in the many lives he touched and the countless initiatives he championed. Through his unwavering dedication and untiring passion, he earned the respect and admiration of his people, and his memory will forever be cherished as a symbol of hope, progress and unity. The late President and the late Foreign Minister will be deeply missed, but their impact on Iranian society will never be forgotten, and their vision for a more just, equitable and prosperous society will continue to guide and inspire future generations. I would like to conclude by reiterating once again the heartfelt condolences of the member States of the Asia-Pacific Group to the families and loved ones of the late President and his companions and to the Government and the people of the Islamic Republic of Iran. May their souls rest in eternal peace.

I now give the floor to the representative of Haiti, who will speak on behalf of the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States.

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States (GRULAC) at today’s special meeting of the General Assembly to pay tribute to the memory of His Excellency Mr. Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi, the late President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, following his tragic death in a helicopter crash on 19 May, along with Iran’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and other members of his delegation. The death of President Raisi has taken the entire international community by surprise and caused considerable sorrow. It is a great loss for the Islamic Republic of Iran. President Raisi devoted his life to the service of his country, which he served with zeal and dedication. He started when he was young, joining the Masjed Soleyman Prosecutor’s Office in south-western Iran. During his career he held various positions in the Iranian judicial system, including those of Assistant Chief Justice, Attorney General and Chief Justice, Public Prosecutor of Iran and head of the Iranian judiciary. He then ran for the presidency, which he won on his second attempt in 2021. In such painful circumstances, the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States extends its sincere condolences to the families of President Raisi and the other victims of this tragic accident, whose sorrow we know must be immense. GRULAC would also like to express its deepest sympathies and solidarity with the Government and the people of Iran and wish them peace, stability and progress in the midst of this adversity.

I now give the floor to the representative of Pakistan, who will speak on behalf of group of States that are members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

I have the honour to deliver this tribute on behalf of the group of States that are members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. On Sunday, 19 May, the world received the grim and shocking news of the unfortunate passing of His Excellency Mr. Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and members of his entourage following the crash of their helicopter in Iran. As members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, we mourn the unfortunate passing of the late President Raisi and the senior officials accompanying him. On this solemn occasion, we extend our heartfelt condolences to the Government and people of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Specifically, we commiserate with the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Seyyed Ali Hosseini Khamenei, Acting President Mohammad Mokhber and the entire family of the late President Raisi following this national tragedy. We beseech Almighty Allah, the omnipresent and merciful, to grant the entire leadership and people of the Islamic Republic of Iran the patience and fortitude to bear their grave loss. As we pray for the eternal repose of the soul of the late President Raisi, we take solace in his historical contributions to the vision and mission of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, notably its central cause of the restoration of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people and the protection of the sanctity of the Holy Mosque of Al-Quds Al-Sharif. Thanks to the leadership, wisdom and consensus politics of the late President, and with the consistent support of other OIC leaders, the Organization has become stronger, more cohesive and an effective force for the promotion of global peace and security and prosperity. Indeed, the various contributions of the late President Raisi to the socioeconomic and political transformation in Iran will remain a permanent legacy of benevolence that will be recorded in his favour. In addition to his contribution to the promotion of friendly relations among the States members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation  — which has consolidated the excellent bilateral and multilateral relations within the OIC — the relevance at the global level of a long- overdue New World political and socioeconomic order based on equality, good-neighbourliness, justice and freedom has always resonated clearly in the late President Raisi’s various declarations and speeches at the annual high-level sessions of the General Assembly since his assumption of power in Iran in 2021. We pray to Almighty Allah to grant the gentle soul of the departed President eternal bliss in the paradise of Al-Firdaws. We would also like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to all the members of the delegation accompanying the late President Raisi, who met their martyrdom in the same helicopter crash. In particular, the passing of Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian was as tragic as it was shocking, particularly considering that the news of his passing occurred just 30 days after his participation in the Security Council’s open debate on the admission of Palestine as a full member of the United Nations on 18 April 2024 (see S/PV.9608). The late Foreign Minister will be remembered for his unrelenting démarches and astute support for the cause of the liberation of Palestine, among the various issues on the OIC’s agenda. Unbeknownst to the OIC Permanent Representatives at the briefing given by the Minister the following day, his admonition and exhortation on the need for increased concerted efforts towards the centrality of the cause of Palestine and Al-Quds Al-Sharif were indeed prescient. May Almighty Allah console his immediate family and grant his soul eternal repose in Jannat Al-Firdaws.

I now give the floor to the representative of Uganda, who will speak on behalf of the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries.

On behalf of the member States of the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries, we extend our deepest condolences to the Government and the people of the Islamic Republic of Iran on the tragic passing of His Excellency Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi and His Excellency Mr. Hossein Amir Abdollahian, the President and Foreign Minister respectively of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and their esteemed companions. The Movement stands in solidarity with the Government and the people of Iran during this difficult time and we will continue to work together to promote peace, development and cooperation among our nations. President Raisi and Foreign Minister Amir Abdollahian were instrumental in strengthening cooperation and fostering collaboration among members of the Movement. Under their leadership, the Islamic Republic of Iran played a crucial role in enhancing cooperation among developing countries. Their commitment to multilateralism and cooperation was unwavering. Their vision and leadership helped strengthen our collective efforts towards a more prosperous and sustainable developing world. We once again offer our condolences to the families of President Raisi and Foreign Minister Abdollahian and to the people of Iran, who have lost two gallant, dedicated leaders. May their memory continue to inspire us to work for a brighter future for all.

I now give the floor to the representative of Qatar, who will speak on behalf of the Gulf Cooperation Council.

It is my honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the States members of the Gulf Cooperation Council, namely, the United Arab Emirates, the Kingdom of Bahrain, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Sultanate of Oman, the State of Kuwait and my own State of Qatar. At the outset, we thank you, Mr. President, for convening this meeting to pay tribute to the memory of His Excellency Ebrahim Raisi, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran. We were deeply shocked and saddened by his death in a tragic helicopter crash with other officials, in particular His Excellency Mr. Hossein Amir Abdollahian, Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Over the decades, the late President had a full record of serving his country through the positions he held, including as President of the Republic. He left an indelible mark at all levels. He was also renowned for his outstanding academic achievement in law and jurisprudence. We express our deepest condolences to the people and leadership of Iran over their great loss. We share their pain and pray that Almighty Allah may have mercy on the deceased and grant solace to their loved ones. We belong to Allah and to Him we shall return.

I would like to begin by citing the Holy Qur’an. “Among the believers are men who have been true to their covenant with Allah. Of them some have completed their vow and some still wait, but they have never changed their determination in the least” (The Holy Qur’an, XXXIII:23). On behalf of the Government and the people of the Islamic Republic of Iran and myself, I would like to express our deepest gratitude to you, Mr. President, as well as the Secretary-General and everyone here, for taking this moment to pay tribute to and honour the memory of the late President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, His Excellency Mr. Sayyed Ebrahim Raisi, and the late Minister for Foreign Affairs, His Excellency Mr. Hossein Amir Abdollahian. Their tragic passing has been a profound loss for our nation and all who knew them. I would also like to thank everyone who spoke this morning, especially on behalf of their own regional groups and other groups, for their kind words and heartfelt condolences to the Government and the people of Iran and the families of our late President and Foreign Minister. President Raisi and Minister Amir Abdollahian were visionary leaders whose terms were dedicated to promoting peace, stability and sustainable security in our region and beyond. The principles of good- neighbourliness, mutual respect and commitment to international law, the Charter of the United Nations and multilateralism were the cornerstones of their foreign policy. Significant progress was made thanks to their vision and leadership, especially in partnerships and international engagement. President Raisi was a dedicated leader, widely respected for his tireless efforts to foster good- neighbourliness, build confidence and promote dialogue within the region and beyond. He was a true architect of peace and cooperation, demonstrating an unwavering commitment to peace, stability, development and the right of all Palestinians to self-determination. Under his leadership and guidance, the Government of Iran consistently participated in and supported all efforts aimed at preserving peace and security in the Persian Gulf region. Numerous bridges of brotherhood and cooperation across political, economic and other fields were built. During his remarkable term, President Raisi centred the foreign policy of his Government on fostering stronger relationships with neighbouring countries and the broader region. At the same time, he placed significant emphasis on developing and enhancing ties with other parts of the world, particularly Africa and Latin America. His numerous foreign visits, including two notable trips to New York for the high-level annual meetings of the General Assembly, where he represented the views and policies of the Islamic Republic of Iran from this rostrum, underscored the proactive nature of his Government’s foreign policy agenda. Similarly, Minister for Foreign Affairs Amir Abdollahian was a distinguished diplomat, highly regarded for his contributions to regional diplomacy and the principles of good-neighbourliness and international cooperation. His work on the regional and international stage was characterized by a deep understanding of the complexities of international relations and a relentless pursuit of mutual respect. The achievements that were made during the short but brilliant term of President Raisi and Foreign Minister Amir Abdollahian will undoubtedly serve as a solid basis for future generations to build on. They leave behind a profound legacy through their major contributions to efforts across the region to establish a peaceful region founded on trust, cooperation and friendship. Their commitment to those foundational ideals has left an indelible mark on our nation and the world. Their unwavering commitment to the principles of justice and equality inspired hope and resilience in the hearts of our people, our region and beyond. The legacy of these two martyrs, President Raisi and Mr. Amir Abdollahian, will continue to inspire us to work for a more peaceful and secure region and world. In our moment of grief, we are also reflecting on the profound impact that both leaders had on our lives and our nation. They were not merely figures of authority but symbols of hope, resilience and the enduring power of good governance and diplomacy. We remain committed to upholding the principles of peace, security, justice and multilateralism that they tirelessly supported, and we will continue our journey under the leadership of our next President, who will be chosen in an election set for 28 June. In conclusion, I reiterate our sincere appreciation to every country for the sympathy we have received in this sad event, in a demonstration of their love and respect for the Iranian people and for the victims of this sad incident. May their souls rest in peace and may their legacies continue to inspire us all. We belong to Allah and to Him we shall return.