The following is an edited transcript of the address by H.E. Majid Nili to Panel Three of the May 30-31 Schiller Institute Berlin conference, “The End of 500 Years of Colonialism: For a Dialogue of Civilizations—The Urgency of a New Global Security and Development Architecture.” Mr. Nili is the ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to Germany. Subheads have been added. The video is available here.

Good day. Ladies and gentlemen, it is a great honor and pleasure to participate in this important conference here in Berlin. I would like to sincerely thank the organizers of the Schiller Institute for bringing together scholars, diplomats, and think tanks from different parts of the world to discuss one of the most important questions of our time—the future of the international order and the dialogue among civilizations.

The core of my remarks is for one and a half minutes. The rest is for more elaboration. At the outset of my remarks, I would like to raise five brief questions and answers.

Number one— Has the colonial system come to an end? The response is yes, formally yes. Number two— Do we still suffer from its bitter legacy and consequences? Undoubtedly yes. The third question— What evidence supports this claim? Gaza, with more than 800,000 civilians, Lebanon, Sudan, Venezuela, Greenland, Ukraine, and recently Cuba, and recently my country.

You know my country has been invaded by American missiles, Israeli missiles, two times in less than one year. You know we defended very well. The aggressors, they were not winners. We were, and we are, the winner. Another question— What is the solution? The response is, moving toward a new, just, and balanced international order. The last question— How? By returning to civilian or to civilizational capacities through dialogue, resistance, and resilience. Allow me to elaborate more.

Today, humanity stands at a historic crossroads. We are witnessing profound geopolitical, economic, and cultural transformations that have been reshaping the foundations of international relations over recent decades. In such a period of uncertainty, dialogue, mutual respect, and international cooperation become more necessary than ever before.

A World in Transition

Let me start with the topic of a world in transition, from unipolar to multipolar. The international system today is fundamentally different from the one that emerged after the Cold War. For several decades, global affairs were largely shaped by a unipolar structure in which decision-making power in political, economic, and security matters was concentrated among a limited number of actors or countries.

However, recent developments clearly indicate that this phase is gradually giving way to a more complex multipolar reality. Emerging economies, regional powers, and countries of the Global South are increasingly seeking a greater role in shaping international decisions that affect their development and security. This shift reflects not only changes in power distribution, but also a broader demand for more equitable and representative global governance.

Although colonialism formally ended several decades ago, many structural inequalities continue to shape the international system today, unfortunately. Countries still face economic dependency, unequal global structures, limited influence in international decision-making, and more than that, war mongering. At this point, the central question before us is not only how to manage crises, but how to construct a more balanced, inclusive, and sustainable international order. There is a huge gap between the Global South and Global North in terms of economic development and political stability.

Dear friends, the world order has undergone significant transformation over the past few years. In this context, I would like to highlight five key developments that I think are the main elements for the coming order.

First, we are witnessing a gradual distribution of global power and influence, in which no single actor is likely to maintain exclusive leadership within the international system. The current conflict involving Iran demonstrates the growing limitations of American power and its increasing dependence on allies and partners for military and economic support. This reflects a weakening of the United States.

Second, emerging regional and multilateral frameworks such as BRICS, as my friend [Amb. Asfaw] mentioned, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization countries, the Asians, the African Union, are playing an increasingly important role in political and economic and even cultural cooperation and, more than that, scientific cooperation.

Third, resistance and resilience against domination, foreign intervention, and externally imposed political models are growing across the world. States, NGOs, and non-governmental actors are increasingly asserting their sovereignty, defending their independence, and rejecting outside interference in their internal affairs.

Fourth, we are observing the gradual emergence of a more civilizational, diverse understanding of the world order in which different cultural and historical experiences contribute to global governance.

Fifth, the United Nations requires meaningful reform. The current system must evolve toward greater neutrality, inclusiveness, and a more balanced redistribution of influence, including reconsideration of the veto mechanism.

The Role of Iran in Today’s Polarized World

Where is the role of Iran? Iran represents one of the world’s oldest civilizations, and has historically served as a bridge between culture, religions, regions, and intellectual traditions. The Iranian perspective on international relations has long emphasized dialogue, peaceful coexistence, mutual respect, and cultural understanding. In this regard, the concept of the dialogue among civilizations remains highly relevant in today’s polarized world, and Iran firmly believes that lasting peace cannot be achieved through confrontation or exclusion, but only through respect, dignity, diplomacy, and constructive engagement among nations and civilizations. Iran always promotes peace and stands for peace and justice, while it defends against any kind of aggression very well.

In discussing the evolving international order, it is also necessary to address persistent challenges related to the application of international law and the principle of the state’s sovereignty. Iran has over many years faced sustained external pressure, including economic sanctions, as you said, political coercive measures, and security-related threats, which it considers inconsistent with the principles of the United Nations Charter and the norms of international law as well. In addition, Iran has been directly affected by activity involving targeted security incidents and military tensions, which have contributed to instability and heightened insecurity in parts of Western Asia. From Iran’s perspective, such developments illustrate the risks associated with selective approaches to international law and the force or pressure outside the framework of multilateral legitimacy.

The broader implication of these policies is not limited to Iran alone, but extends to the weakening of trust in international norms and institutions. At the same time, Iran has consistently emphasized that sustainable security cannot be achieved through escalation or containment strategy, but only through dialogue, respect for sovereignty, and adherence to international law without a double standard.

As an example, you know, not long ago, one Iranian elementary school was targeted by two American missiles. More than 168 children, 10-year-old children, girls, boys, have been targeted. No condemnation from some countries at all. This is a double standard. The life of innocent people, children—how does it have sense for military actions? Are they soldiers? No, 10-year-old boys, girls, they are not soldiers. They are looking for a future. Why have they been targeted? And why is there silence in terms of condemnation?

Strengthening multilateral diplomacy and restoring confidence in international legal frameworks therefore remains essential for regional and global stability. The last point in this item, Iran has challenged the U.S. power. The recent war is a good example.

In conclusion, I would like to emphasize that humanity’s future depends not on domination or confrontation, but on cooperation, dialogue, mutual understanding, resilience, and shared responsibility. We are on the same boat, no matter where we live—in America, Africa, Europe, Western Asia. In today’s interconnected world, mistrust and division must give way to diplomacy and constructive engagement. Justice, equality, and mutual respect must remain the foundational principles of international relations. Only through inclusive dialogue and international cooperation can we build a peaceful, stable, and sustainable global order for future generations.

Thank you.