Iran dismisses Canada-drafted resolution at UNGA

The resolution was passed on Wednesday at the Third Committee of the 78th session of the UNGA with only 80 votes in favor. A total of 94 countries either abstained or voted against the resolution, with the abstain votes at 65.

Speaking at the same committee in New York, the Iranian envoy said that while her country acknowledges that there is always room for improvement, it believes that it is imperative to highlight the selective and hypocritical nature of the allegations against the country.

Ershadi further accused the Western countries of adopting double standards in dealing with human rights issues, recalling those states' recent opposition to the a resolution at the UN Security Council which called for stopping the bloodshed in Palestine's Gaza.

The following is the full text of Ershadi’s speech at the Third Committee.

Mr. Chair,

The Islamic Republic of Iran vehemently rejects the biased and politically motivated resolution that targets the human rights situation in our country. While we acknowledge that there is always room for improvement, it is imperative to highlight the selective, biased, and hypocritical nature of the allegations directed against us.

Mr. Chair,

The Third Committee, a pivotal organ established under the United Nations, stands as a beacon for promoting dialogue and cooperation to advance human rights worldwide. Unfortunately, rather than using this platform to earnestly address human rights concerns, certain countries exploit it to advance their political agendas, thereby undermining the core ethos of this Committee.

Let us pivot our attention to Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, the United States, and the occupying and apartheid Israeli regime—the classic cast of characters and the usual suspects. Canada and the co-sponsors have tabled a country-specific resolution while voting down a resolution urging the cessation of the Israeli regime’s bloodbath and massacre of Palestinian women and children. This juxtaposition indeed unmasks the double standard practices employed by them vis-à-vis human rights. Perhaps, it is time for them to form the Group of Friends in Support of Slaughtering Children!!

Canada, while assuming a moral high ground and endeavoring to castigate other nations, must confront the distressing and painful reality of the annual discovery of numerous bodies of Indigenous children. The exploitation and mistreatment of migrant workers, as spotlighted by the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, stands as a horrifying, deeply disturbing, and inexcusable stain rooted in Canada’s colonial legacy. While Canada prides itself on a luminous history of purportedly protecting children’s rights, these revelations paint a starkly different reality.

The United Kingdom’s neglect is equally disconcerting. The inexplicable silence and lack of attention to over 200 missing children and teenagers, all of whom are asylum-seekers, resonates with the world’s alarming indifference to the plight of these vulnerable individuals. The neglect and failure to uphold the rights and safety of these young lives is utterly reprehensible and demands urgent attention. As the world watches in horror at the desecration of the rights and lives of innocent Indigenous children, it seems that perhaps Canada’s illustrious reputation for safeguarding the rights of children could be put to practical use!! Maybe the UK could benefit from Canada’s expertise in finding the missing children.

France, draped in the veil of liberty, equality, and fraternity, stands exposed in its own backyard of human rights violations. The incessant crackdown on religious freedoms in the name of secularism, the insidious targeting and marginalization of Muslim communities, and the draconian restrictions on the hijab demonstrate a country ironically stifling liberties under the guise of upholding them. As the beacon of human rights tarnishes with every discriminatory law and policy, France stands as a glaring example of hypocrisy, parading ideals of equality while blatantly denying it to its own citizens.

The fact that Germany violates the most basic rights of Muslim and migrant women and children within its borders draws attention to historical parallels, such as the chemical weapons it used against Iranian women and children during the imposed war. Neither history nor Iranian women and children can forget the horrendous crimes committed by Germany and its chemical weapons.

The illegitimate apartheid Israeli regime is at the forefront of massacring innocent women and children. Nobody else can really compete with the apartheid regime in genocide, ethnic cleansing, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. How can one explain the horrific bombing of hospitals during which hundreds of patients, most of whom were women and children, were killed and charred beyond recognition?! The occupying apartheid regime of Israel perpetuates a legacy of egregious and unspeakable human rights violations. The forced displacement of Palestinian people, the continued occupation of their very own territories, the construction of illegal settlements, and the suffocating blockade on Gaza epitomize an apartheid regime that, in its quest for genocide, tramples upon the rights and dignity of the whole Palestinian nation.

The United States, in addition to promoting racism, has thrown its full weight behind the Israeli regime’s genocide and slaughtering of women and children in the besieged Gaza Strip. The U.S. pursues the very same policy by committing genocide against the Iranian people through the imposition of inhumane and unlawful unilateral coercive measures against them. The U.S. takes pride in providing the apartheid regime with all the support it needs, including military, financial, and political backing. I think it has now become very obvious for everyone here the reason why the Security Council has been paralyzed beyond imagination.

Mr. Chair,

The Islamic Republic of Iran believes in promoting and protecting human rights, and it will continue its constructive cooperation with UN human rights mechanisms as well as Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR(.

However, the exploitation of human rights for political motives should concern all Member States. Instead of selectively targeting certain countries to serve political interests, we must collectively adopt an impartial and unbiased approach to genuinely address human rights violations on a global scale.

In light of the foregoing, it is needless to reiterate that the draft resolution has nothing to do with human rights. I would therefore like to propose a vote on draft resolution L. 41 in the sincere hope that representatives choose the right course by rejecting it.

Thank you.