081121_third_humanrightsiniran - Australian Permanent Mission to the United Nations

Australian Permanent Mission to the United Nations

New York

Permanent Mission address: 150 East 42 Street, Level 33, New York, New York 10017 - Telephone: 1 212 351 6600 - Fax: 1 212 351 6610

Statement delivered by H.E Robert Hill, Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the Australian Mission to the UN, in opposition to the no action motion on the resolution on the human rights situation in the Islamic Republic of Iran

21 November 2008

Mr. Chair:

I have the honour to make this statement on behalf of Australia, Andorra, San Marino, Liechtenstein, Iceland, Norway, the Republic of Korea, Palau and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

The General Assembly has entrusted this Committee, a body of universal membership, with jurisdiction and responsibility to debate and address human rights issues.

Today, a motion has just been introduced to prevent this Committee from carrying out its normal work.

We believe that such a motion is totally inappropriate. It is an abuse of the rules of procedure, which aims to prevent the Committee from exercising its jurisdiction and responsibilities. It would prevent discussion of a human rights issue – the very reason why this committee meets !

Such a motion also undermines the credibility of this body, and of the General Assembly.

Mr. Chair:

We strongly believe that every serious human rights issue put forward for discussion in this committee should be considered and debated. As Member States, we want to keep our right to express our views on an issue, and our right to vote on a resolution. We do not want to be prevented from doing so by a “no-action motion”.

We will therefore vote “no” on this motion. And we urge all members who want to preserve their right to speak on an issue and vote on a substantive resolution to do the same.

Thank you.