The majority of the UN General Assembly committee refuse to censure Iran for Human Rights abuses

On the 18 Nov A U.N. General Assembly committee considered a politically motivated Canadian resolution to censure Iran for extensive Human Rights abuses - a charge that what void of evidence and was farcical in light of the recently revealed Iraqi occupation forces Human Rights abuses and the admission of illegal US detention centres in Europe.

However, realpolitik is such that such a resolution would not be based on the evidence but would be gerrymandered by the United States who supported the Canadian resolution, with the typical US threats and bribery that are the reality of any General Assembly meeting. To this extent the Islamic Republic did not wish to waste good faith trying to persuade allies to support its cause, suspecting that the verdict was a forgone conclusion. Instead, it chose to keep it powder dry for the impending IAEA hearing.

Thus Iran put forward a motion to put off the vote, which was defeated by 77-70 with 23 abstentions. The Canadian resolution was then approved by voted 77 to 51, with a staggering 46 abstentions by the 191-member committee. Despite vociferous US lobbying, bullying, bribery and threats, the majority of member states would not support the resolution.

The implications for US political hegemony are enormous, if the United States cannot get the majority of a UN General Assembly committee to censure Iran, it main enemy, on an innocuous resolution on Human Rights, it influence is clearly waining in the international political arena.