Im happy to welcome the new members we look forward to their participation in the work of the council. Their experience and wisdom will with invaluable assistance the councils responsibilities. I would take the opportunity to expose the gratitude to the outgoing members, namely egypt, fory, ukraine, and uruguay, their work to the council during their terms. I should also look to take this opportunity to pay tribute on behalf of the council to his excellency, the representative to then for his Service Council for the month of december 2017. Im sure i speak for all members of the council in expressing deep appreciation to the ambassador and for the next girl that helped reached the Council Business decision last month. In accordance with rules 37 of the councils provisional rules procedure, i it is so decided. With will 39 of the councils provisional rules us tocedure, i invite stand secretary general for Political Affairs to participate in the meeting. Scotus. The Security Council will now begin its consideration of ite s 2 of their agenda. Thank you. Mr. President. As requested, i would like to brief the Security Council on ongoing developments in the and therepublic of iran agenda item on the situation in the middle east. As this is the first Public Meeting of the Security Council and 2018, i would like, on behalf of the department of political au pairs Political Affairs, to congratulate the six new elected members of the council on the assumption of their responsibility. I also wish the Security Council a successful year. Mr. President , the protests in the Islamic Republic of iran started on the 28th of december 2017 when hundreds of iranians gathered in a largely peaceful manner in much are in the countries secondlargest city, chanting slogans against islamic hardship. Protestsfollowing days occurred in other cities and urban areas, as well as many rural areas. Some also expressed disappointment at the limited change in social sectors and Political Freedoms and criticized what demonstrators decried as a privileged position of the clergy and elements of the Country Security establishment. Demanded a costly involvement in the region. Escalated they turned violent. Media was posted on social media and footage broadcast by tv channels showed the beating of protesters as will the burning of government offices, inks, and religious centers. Byording to reports carried official iranian media, more than 20 iranians, including a teenage boy and policeman, have died during the protests. Irans ministry of interior stated that over 1000 protesters have been detained. With very limited presence on the ground, the secretary cannot the authenticity of the images that have been broadcast or the extent of the violence. Thatve received reports the police, rather than the military forces, where responding to the protests. Were responding to the protests. Guards announced the end of antigovernment protests. Recent reports indicate smaller and scattered menstruations. Meanwhile, from the third to the rallies january, large were reportedly held across the country with participants expressing support for the Supreme Leader and condemning violence. The president and members of the Security Council, on the first the president 17, told a Cabinet Meeting that the radiance should be allowed space to protest and criticize their government. At the same time violence will not be tolerated. Two days later from the second usednuary the spring later that the spring the spring later accused his enemies brought to the secretarygeneral, accusing the ,nited states of stepping up its acts of intervention in a grotesque way in irans internal affairs and the text the providing support. Mr. President , the outbreak of violence and protest in iran has focused the attention to events in the country. Leaders haveorld expressed support for the iranian protesters. Others, including the union, have called on the iranian expect the right to peaceful demonstration and freedom of opinion. More have supported the government of iran, calling for protests. On the third of january, the secretarygeneral issued a respectfulurging rights to Peaceful Assembly and freedom of expression, and that demonstrations take place in a peaceful matter that peaceful manner. They called on the they called on the iranian authorities to handle the wave of protests that have taken place around the country with great care so as not to further and to violence investigate all death and serious injuries that have occurred so far. January, fourf United Nations special reporters stated that the Iranian Authority should take immediate action to ensure all citizens can exercise peacefully the right to freedom of expression that these andd other fundamental rights are not met with violence. Mr. President , members of the council, as of today United NationsDevelopment Work in the Islamic Republic of iran has not been significantly affected by recent events. The secretariat will continue to monitor developments from the ground and engage iranian authorities to contribute efforts that addressthe secretao monitor developments from the the legitimate concerns of the population through peaceful , or distribution through peaceful protesters. Thank you for your briefing. I now give the floor to the Council Members who wish to make statements. I give the floor to the representative of the United States. Happy new year to all the members of the Security Council and the general assembly. In the past week what has happened on the ground throughout the nation of iran is something the world wants to take note of. A spontaneous expression of fundamental human rights. Up uranium people are rising in 70 locations throughout the country. It is a powerful exhibition of brave people who have become so fed up with their oppressive government that they are willing to risk their lives and protest lives in protest. The voices of the iranian people should be heard. We have debated the proper role of human rights in the Security Council. Some of our colleagues believe human rights septal place here. Rights ande fundamental freedoms are the business only of the governments that control them. The United States does not share that belief. Human rights are not the gift of governments. The inalienable right of the people themselves. Freedom and Human Dignity cannot be separated from peace and security when the rights of the people are denied the people rightly resist. If the concerns are not acknowledged, then peace and security are notably fret and are inevitably threatened. The case of syria provides a horrible testament to this fact. And what is happening in the towns and cities across iran right now spells out this fundamental truth. Their rainy and regimes contempt for the rights of its people has been widely documented for many years. The people of iran have finally had enough. And they are showing it by taking to the streets. The iranian people understand the nature of the regime. They understand the lack of voice and their government has allowed the regime to ignore them. Allowed the regime to spread conflict and instability far and wide. If you listen to the slogans they chant in the street, this understanding comes through loud and clear. Theunited nation reports Iranian Regime spends at least 6 billion every year propping up the murders of assad regime in syria. The people of iran know this. So they are telling the syria,ent, let go of think of us. The Iranian Regime spends millions in militias in iraq each year. It gives millions more to the rebels in yemen. Including sending them a missiles to fire at other countries. Meanwhile, the average iranian today than5 poorer it was 10 years ago. To the iranian peoples demand, think of us. It rewards construction corpscts to corrupt guard , affiliated firms. They construct buildings that skimp on safety. Thousands of these buildings collapsed during an earthquake. Hundreds die. And the iranian people chant, think of us. Today the people of iran are speaking of their government. And their messages undeniable, stop the support for terrorism, stop giving billions of our money to killers and dictators. Stop taking our wealth and spending it on foreign fires foreign fighters. Freedom loving nations worldwide have spread support for the cause of your rainy and people. Can the deck, norway, the United Kingdom, israel, france, sweden, the European Union. We honor and appreciate all of the statements of soup statements of support. The Iranian Regime is attempting to cut down best to cut Internet Access in an attempt to silence communication. Every member of the u. N. States sovereign, the members but Member States cannot use sovereignty as a shield when they categorically deny their people fundamental rights. And i call on the government of iran to stop censoring the voice of the people and restore the access to the internet. The iranian people will determine their own destiny. Let there be no doubt whatsoever, the United States stance on apologetically with those in iran who speak freedom for themselves. We will not be quiet, no the iranian people know the truth. And we know the truth. Their owncting of will, on her own behalf, for their own future. Nothing will stop americans from standing in solidarity with them. The hosts of the uranium people work cut death were crushed by their government. Once again the people of iran are rising up. Asking something the government cant legitimately deny them. They are calling out, think of us. If the founding principles of this institution mean anything, we will not only hear their cry, we will finally answer it. The world will be watching what you do. Thank you. I think the representative of the United States for her statement. To give the floor i think thedent assistant secretarygeneral for the specific briefing element he shared with us on recent events. We kept a close eye on the situation. I would like on behalf of france to share with you two main messages this afternoon. Firstly we have met together this afternoon on the situation in the middle east. And everyone knows within the Security Council there are several agenda items to discuss the various matters relating to the middle east security and peace in the region. Whether that is put to 231 or actions pertaining to lebanon, syria, yemen. Our role is to do all that we can to find a solution to the flashpoint in the crisis in the middle east. That weat understanding must commit to fully upholding the Nuclear Agreement with iran. Fullyt also commit to promoting its implementation. This is the approach that enjoyed consensus to the Councils Meeting of last year. The said Nuclear Agreement concerns each and every one of us. And the laster of hand is to ensure is rigorously implemented. The agreement was one of the cornerstones of stability in the region and the middle east. To lose this hardwon ground would be a major setback not just for the region, but for us the entire International Community, and for the nonproliferation regime. Under consequences and the consequences and fallout may be heavy. We must also pursue a realistic and robusta and robust dialogue. Risksure it doesnt pose a of regional instability. Engage in the discussion with iran so that with terror and we can address the concern pertaining to their ran influence in the middle east. And its regional crises, more yemen. Cally iraq, syria, in each of the aforementioned countries, we need to find the ways and means that will allow us to respond to attempt external meddling. Stability in said countries or the extent on meddling. Includes solutions to the complex divisions, this dialogue is essential for all of us each and every one of us needs to engage in this dialogue. We are going to it opened i and pursued setting gauge went and dialogue honestly. My second point concerns the specific issue that has brought the Council Together today. I would like to express my alarm in light of the violence the recent protests in iran have met. We call upon the arena 40s to exercise restraint. It is a to fundamental freedom, such as the freedom of belief and conscious, freedom of expression and communication. Able toshould be peacefully protest and how their voices openly heard. We must be watchful and the and be ensured that this is what president macron said to his iranian counterpart during their conversation on the second of january. It is up to the arena people. However, the event of the last two days, they do not constitute per se, the threat to International Peace and security. We must react appropriately to what has been going on. You must ensure that we remain watchful and give proper vigilance to what is happening and to these peaceful protest. Given the risk of violence and response of protesters but we must be worried about attempts to as exploit this crisis for personal and. This is the opposed outcome to what is worst. The change will come from the iranian people themselves. Christ thank you where statement. I give the floor to the representative of bolivia. Thank you president. Testimony, given that this is the first open meeting of the Security Council this month, i would like to once again ongratulate the delegation behalf of the state of bolivia. I like to read ask for my delegations. One. President , the ballooning delegation believes that the holding of the meeting this afternoon is not a good sign. It is not a Welcome Initiative and i make that point in the understanding that that has been the case in the past. Witnessing a point attempt by some mission to bring to the attention of the Security Council issues that do not fall within the purview of this body. Theategorically reject undisguised attempt by some delegations on issues that do not represent threats to International Peace and security. In so doing, they run the risk of the Security Council turning into a Political Tool to be exploited to each member. It needs to be abundantly and crystalclear to the International Community that the situation in iran is not an issue that belongs on the agenda of the Security Council and we are concerned to see that there are clumsy attempts to force his inclusion on the Security Council agenda as part of the broader middle east agenda item. The scent of blood it was made abundantly clear. This was condemned in the strongest possible terms any in theto interfere internal affairs that would be an affront to the right of the people of the republic of iran. We are convinced that as history has proven time and time again, unilateral action, political individualism and regime change only ever lead to devastating humanitarian social and economic consequences. Resting the repercussions of that. On this particular occasion this is to respecting the National Unity and integrity of states as well as of holding the sovereignty quality of states. And the principle of the internal affairs of states. Finally, as a state, bolivia is convinced that any internal conflict of any stick around the world must be resolved in that own countries practices. And in line with its own summer vegetables without any x handle meddling. External meddling. Representative from kuwait . Thank you mr. President. Asis a great pleasure for me i speak for the first time in the Security Council to wish you a happy new year and to congratulate you on your presidency of the council and i wish you success. I would also like to congratulate to the newly elected members of the council, i wish them success in the upcoming years. Now, i would like to take this opportunity to reiterate that we hope to Work Together and cooperate with you on all issues on the agenda of the council. Will workof kuwait hard in compliance with the principles and purposes of the u. N. Charter. We listened carefully to the and we appreciate the information he has provided for us and his efforts as well as work of the Staff Members of the Clinical Affairs department but which is not of the letter on the third of january of 2018 of the permanent representative of iran to the secretarygeneral of the United Nations as well as the press dated may by the secretarygeneral on the third of january in which he expressed regarding the loss of lives due to the demonstrations in iran. We have been following the event and we regret the loss of lives among civilians and member of the members of the Security Forces as well as the various acts of violence t