The 16th NAM Summit in Teheran came to an end August 31 with the adoption of the Teheran Declaration. Representatives from the 120 members bloc of nations adopted the document that supported the peaceful use of nuclear energy, condemned unilateral sanctions against Iran ,supported the creation of a Palestinian state and rejected any foreign military intervention in Syria. The next summit of the Non-Aligned Movement will be held in Caracas in 2015.
Meanwhile,UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has defended his decision to attend the NAM summit in Tehran. During a stopover in Dubai on his way back to the UN headquarters in New York after attending the summit, Ban told that he used the occasion to press Iran on human rights and greater transparency regarding its nuclear program. He said that he believes in the power of diplomacy, dialogues and engagement and this is what he did during the Teheran visit. Ban said he reminded Iranian leaders that they had a responsibility to do more to assure the world that their nuclear program was for solely peaceful purposes.
On human rights, Ban said he pressed Iran to permit more freedom of expression, strengthen women's rights and move toward democracy. He also visited Tehran's School of International Relations to share thoughts with the teachers and students on what the country should do as a responsible member of the United Nations.
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