Remarks during UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS Executive Board First Regular Session 2023
Tuesday, January 31, 2023; 3:00-5:00 pm
Agenda Item 7: UNDP Country Programmes and Related Matters: Presentation and Approval of Country Programme Documents
Thank you, Chair. This is a joint statement of Canada and the United States on the UNDP – Iran Country Program Documents (CPD).
Chair, we remain committed to constructive engagement within the multilateral system, including as a steadfast partner with UNDP.
While we strongly support UNDP’s work to alleviate suffering around the world, we are concerned that UNDP’s 2023-2027 CPD for Iran is flawed and could jeopardize the effectiveness of country-level UN programs.
We are gravely concerned by the use of sham trials by Iranian authorities, the use of forced confessions to handout disproportionate sentences including the death penalty. This is appalling, as it follows the Iranian regime’s brutal suppression of dissent and peaceful protests led in part by the women and youth of Iran.
We will continue to amplify the voices of the people of Iran and work with allies and partners to promote accountability for the Iranian regime’s violence against its own population, particularly its youth.
We urge UN leadership and UN Funds and Programs to:
- Ensure Resident Coordinators work closely with the UN Country Team to develop CPDs that respect and protect the human rights of all women and girls; and
- To find creative solutions in instances where CPDs have the potential to risk donor funding and undermine UN reform, and UN principles and values.
To close, we will continue to pursue options to promote accountability for the Iranian regime’s actions, at the United Nations and through other multilateral fora. We stand ready to engage in future dialogue to ensure that the UN development system lives up to its founding principles.
We thank UNDP leadership and staff for their efforts to address our concerns.
Thank you.
