Statement by the United Kingdom, France and Germany on the
JCPoA
On 20 August, the US sent a letter to the UN Security Council
requesting to initiate the ‘snapback’ mechanism, which allows a
participant to the JCPoA to seek the reimposition against Iran of
the multilateral sanctions lifted in 2015 in accordance with
resolution 2231, adopted by the UN Security Council.
France, Germany and the United Kingdom (“the E3”) note that the
US ceased to be a participant to the JCPoA following their
withdrawal from the deal on 8 May, 2018. Our position regarding
the effectiveness of the US notification pursuant to resolution
2231 has consequently been very clearly expressed to the
Presidency and all UNSC members. We cannot therefore support this
action which is incompatible with our current efforts to support
the JCPoA.
The E3 are committed to preserving the processes and institutions
which constitute the foundation of multilateralism. We remain
guided by the objective of upholding the authority and integrity
of the United Nations Security Council. We call on all UNSC
members to refrain from any action that would only deepen
divisions in the Security Council or that would have serious
adverse consequences on its work.
We remain committed to the JCPoA despite the significant
challenges caused by US withdrawal. We believe that we should
address the current issue of systematic Iranian non- compliance
with its JCPoA obligations through dialogue between JCPoA
participants, including through the Joint Commission and use of
the Dispute Resolution Mechanism. In order to preserve the
agreement, we urge Iran to reverse all measures inconsistent with
its nuclear commitments and return to full compliance without
delay.
As we have already underlined, including in our 19 June
statement, we have serious concerns regarding the implications
for regional security of the scheduled expiry of the UN
conventional arms embargo, particularly given Iran’s
destabilising activities, which continue unabated. The E3 are
determined to bring adequate answers to these challenges and will
continue to work with all UNSC members and stakeholders to seek a
path forward that preserves space for further diplomacy. Our
efforts will be guided by the need to uphold the authority and
integrity of the UN Security Council and to advance regional
security and stability.
