Iran seat on UN panel irks Canada

Iran's election to the UN Commission on the Status of Women (UNCSW), an influential panel that promotes women's rights, has irked Canada.

In a Saturday statement, Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon said there were "serious concerns" with Iran's election to the UNCSWat the United Nations Economic and Social Council.

On Thursday, the UN announced that Iran, along with 10 other countries, had been elected to the high-profile UNCSW for the term beginning in 2011.

The UNCSW seeks to ensure women's rights by investigating nations that violate women's rights, monitoring their efforts in improving women's equality and detailing their shortcomings.

“It is the Government of Canada's understanding that Iran was acclaimed as a member of the UN Commission on the Status of Women as part of an uncontested slate endorsed by the Asian regional group, of which Canada is not a member,” he said.

“We deplore this development but will use Iran's membership on this body to take the Iranian authorities to task for their systemic human rights violations,” he added.

Rejecting allegations of human rights violations, Iran blames Western countries for most of the abuses and rights violations that happen around the world.

"Those who claim to be the top advocates of human rights start wars and kill millions of people," President Ahmadinejad has said.

Canada's government is currently struggling with the parliament over documents that could implicate Canada in torture of Afghan detainees while in American custody.

Ahmadinejad has also says that freedom of expression and freedom of religion were integral parts of Iranian culture.

Iran's civilization and culture dates back to 2500 years ago, when "Cyrus the Great put an end to slavery," he has said, drawing a comparison with the US, where slavery has only been abolished for 180 years.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=125123§ionid=351020101.