Khamenei: The Path for Western Models to Influence the Country Must Be Closed

Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, criticized the implementation of the '2030 Document' again on Wednesday, stating that 'the path for Westerners to model our country must be closed.' According to Fars, during a meeting with members of academic councils, researchers, and university elites, he said: 'The 2030 Document is part of the higher-level UN document, namely the Sustainable Development Goals, which global hegemonies want to control all nations within its framework through a flawed and incorrect move.' He added: 'The fact that some say these documents are not binding is a form of superficial thinking because all components of these documents are, in fact, binding, and if not realized, it will provoke a reaction from them.' The UNESCO educational document for 2030, known as the 2030 Document, emphasizes issues such as ensuring equal and inclusive education, environmental protection, gender equality, and equal social opportunities for women and men, human rights, eliminating discrimination against minorities, and promoting a culture of peace and non-violence. The leader of the Islamic Republic further questioned, 'What is the necessity of accepting these documents and practically acknowledging that Westerners should model us?' He stated: 'For several years, we have been discussing the model of Islamic-Iranian progress, which must be developed with the efforts of academics, and the path for Westerners to model our country must be closed.' Khamenei continues to criticize the 2030 Document, even though its implementation has been halted. On May 6, he deemed the execution of this document 'unauthorized' and declared that the Islamic Republic would not submit to documents like UNESCO's 2030 Document. In response, the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution removed the UNESCO 2030 Document from its agenda during its meeting on June 13. Hassan Rouhani, the President of Iran, during his election campaign, accused his conservative opponents of sending 'false reports' about this document to the Supreme Leader and that some issues were raised that are not present in the document. Khamenei reacted to Rouhani's statements, saying: 'Those who think we have not received accurate reports; no, our reports are correct.' The controversy over the 2030 Document escalated as Rouhani announced on his Instagram that the government's resolution regarding this document had been sent to the Supreme Leader's office, the parliament, the judiciary, the country’s inspection organization, the Court of Accounts, and other 'Islamic Revolutionary institutions' in September 2016. Images published on the Iranian President's Instagram show that Khamenei's office and other powers had been aware of this resolution long before.