OTTAWA-
On Monday, Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly urged countries to respect women’s rights and access to abortion, while Canada announced imminent sanctions against Iranian officials following the death of a woman. young woman detained by the country’s vice police.
In a speech to the United Nations General Assembly as the global gathering draws to a close, Joly summarized Canada’s foreign relations priorities and concerns, including calling for more multilateral solutions to issues like climate change and sexual violence.
Canada is part of “a global coalition for equality” that “will push back against these growing attacks on women’s rights and freedoms,” she told the assembly in French on Monday.
“The sexual and reproductive health rights of women and girls are rolled back or denied in too many countries,” Joly said in English.
“Canada will always defend your right to choose.”
Although Joly did not mention the United States in this section of his speech, his comments come after months of backlash over the US Supreme Court’s decision allowing states to ban abortions, with some seeking to prosecute those who help people terminate their pregnancies in other jurisdictions.
“We will defend your rights and your dignity. No government, no politics, no judge – no one can take that away from you,” Joly said, drawing applause.
Joly’s remarks mentioned women being targeted by autocratic governments, such as the Taliban preventing Afghan girls from going to school. She called on Myanmar’s military junta to jail democracy activists and sexually assault Rohingya women.
The speech also cited Iran’s crackdown on protesters seeking accountability following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini when vice police arrested her for “inappropriate dress” for allegedly wearing a hijab. inappropriate way.
At a Monday morning press conference, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Canada was sanctioning dozens of Iranians, including vice police, as a result.
“We have seen Iran disregard human rights time and time again,” Trudeau said.
“To the women in Iran who are protesting and to those who support them: we stand with you.”
Joly’s office could not provide a list Monday of who Canada will sanction.
“We will be able to provide more details on these sanctions in due course”, wrote its spokesman Adrien Blanchard.
The Tories have called on the Liberals to implement a motion passed by parliament in 2018 to deem Iran’s political police, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a terrorist group. Only the clandestine branch of the force has this designation.
On Monday, Joly also noted that Ukrainian women have been victims of sexual violence as part of the ongoing Russian occupation.
She argued that deliberate political choices lead to an increase in violence against women, who are excluded from “the negotiating table, from the boardroom, from the classroom”.
His speech also denounced the “abusive” use of the right of veto by permanent members of the UN Security Council, such as Russia and China.
She said countries must be deterred from violating human rights, especially after a UN report found China may have committed crimes against humanity in its treatment of Uyghur Muslims.
“Those who break the law must be punished with the force of the law. A permanent seat on the Security Council is not a license to kill or silence anyone, and it should never guarantee impunity “Joly said.
She also said Canada would support “fair and equitable reform” of global financial institutions, so they can better help developing countries respond to crises.
According to Joly, countries need to work more closely together to navigate economic, political and environmental turmoil.
“There are no simple solutions to the challenges we face. But it is clear that isolating oneself, not respecting the rule of law and silencing people, is contrary to progress.”