NEWS RELEASES

October 5, 2005 (1:40 p.m. EDT)
No. 174

CANADA TO TABLE RESOLUTION AT UN
ON IRAN’S HUMAN RIGHTS RECORD

Foreign Affairs Minister Pierre Pettigrew announced today that Canada intends to bring a resolution to the floor of the United Nations in the coming weeks regarding Iran’s poor regard for human rights.

“Given that Canada has seen no credible evidence of any improvement in the human rights situation in Iran, for the third year in a row, we will table a resolution on Iran’s record on human rights,” said Minister Pettigrew. “A membership at the United Nations is a privilege as well as a responsibility. In that regard, by virtue of its membership of the UN General Assembly, a country acknowledges that it must address concerns from the global community. Iran has not lived up to its international human rights obligations and has not conformed with past UN resolutions on this matter. We believe this must change.”

In 2003 and 2004, Canada worked with other members of the international community to present a resolution at the UN General Assembly on the human rights situation in Iran. The General Assembly adopted the 2004 resolution on December 20 with 71 votes in favour, 54 against and 55 abstentions.

Although the resolution welcomed Iran’s announcement of a ban on torture and the country’s cooperation with the UN in developing human rights programs, it highlighted serious concerns with regard to Iran’s human rights record. It called upon the Iranian government to abide by its international human rights obligations, to cooperate with the UN special procedures that address human rights requirements, to implement the UN’s recommendations and to set a date for a visit by the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances. The resolution further called upon Iran to fully implement the ban on torture, to end amputation and flogging, to abolish execution by stoning and to expedite the creation of offices of the prosecutor in all provinces, among other things.

Canada and like-minded countries continue to monitor the human rights situation in Iran closely.

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For further information, media representatives may contact:

Sébastien Théberge
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs
(613) 995-1851

Media Relations Office
Foreign Affairs Canada
(613) 995-1874
http://www.international.gc.ca