Statement by Mr. Sadegh Ghorbani Representative of the Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva before The Sixteenth Session of Investment, Enterprise and Development Commission of UNCTAD Opening Statement Geneva, 31 August – 4 September 2026 **** بسم الله الرحمن الرحیم Mr/Madam. Chair, The Islamic Republic of Iran aligns itself with the statements delivered by the Group of 77 and China, and the Group of Friends in Defence of the UN Charter. At the outset, we congratulate you and the members of the Bureau on your election and assure you of our full support and cooperation. We also thank the UNCTAD secretariat for its excellent preparation of this session. We welcome the convening of the sixteenth session of the Investment, Enterprise and Development Commission, the first following the adoption of the Geneva Consensus. This session provides an important opportunity to translate the renewed mandate of UNCTAD into practical responses to the investment and development challenges facing developing countries. Distinguished colleagues,  As demonstrated by the World Investment Report, the international investment environment is becoming increasingly uneven, both in terms of access to and allocation of investment. Investment is becoming more selective and concentrated, particularly in strategic and technologyintensive sectors, and is increasingly directed towards economies with stronger financial, technological and institutional capacities. As a result, many developing countries continue to face persistent investment gaps and growing difficulties in accessing and fully benefiting from international investment opportunities. Addressing these imbalances requires attention not only to domestic policies, but also to the broader international environment. Limited access to finance and financial services, technology and related know-how, international markets and productive infrastructure, as well as external barriers and restrictive measures, including unilateral coercive measures, can significantly constrain the ability of developing countries to attract, retain and benefit from investment. The same is true of armed conflict and foreign military aggression, including the recent unlawful military aggression on my country by the United States and the Israeli regime against all rules and principles of international law, which can disrupt investment flows, damage productive and economic infrastructure, increase perceived risks and financing costs, and divert capital away from long-term development. Developing countries must also retain adequate policy space to pursue investment and industrial policies in accordance with their national development priorities. For Iran, investment must ultimately serve development. Its contribution should be measured not only by the volume of capital flows, but also by its impact on productive capacities, employment, technology transfer, domestic linkages, value addition and economic diversification. We therefore hope that this session will contribute to identifying practical policy options to support developing countries, narrow investment gaps, facilitate more equitable access to investment opportunities and address external barriers that continue to constrain such access. UNCTAD has an important role to play in this regard through its research and analysis, consensus-building and technical cooperation. In implementing paragraph 75 of the Geneva Consensus, we also look forward to a fully intergovernmental and member-driven process, with all Member States participating on an equal footing and having an equal opportunity to contribute to and shape the outcome. I thank you, Mr. Chair. ---