The B’nai Brith Canada Institute for International Affairs has a mandate to protest the abuse of human rights throughout the world and advocate on behalf of worldwide Jewish communities in distress. The Institute has a special focus on pro-Israel advocacy and education.
Rochelle Wilner President	Frank Dimant Chief Executive Officer	Amos Sochaczevski National Chair	Ruth Klein National Director

STATEMENT TO THE DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
AND INTERNATIONAL TRADE

in preparation for the 59th session of the
United Nations Commission on Human Rights

K. SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS

SECTION B. THE NEED FOR REFORM OF THE UNCHR

¤ Canada should publicly press for reforms that will establish the following minimum criteria as a prerequisite for membership, and even more so for chairmanship:

1. Free elections of head of state and/or government and legislative representatives
2. A political opposition that is able to organize and campaign freely
3. Freedom from domination by the military, or oppression based on totalitarian ideologies, religious tyranny, social hierarchy or economic exploitation
4. Protection of rights of religious, cultural, ethnic and other minorities
5. Freedom of expression through media independent of the state
6. Freedom of association and of assembly
7. Rule of law with an independent judiciary and police force, free from corruption and nepotism, with protection from state terror and intimidation
8. Personal autonomy and economic/social rights

¤ Canada should publicly state its concerns on serving with countries that do not meet these criteria, a trend it has already initiated by voting against Libya’s election as Chair

¤ Canada should press for procedural changes at the UNCHR that will ensure sitting members cannot block investigation of their own abuses

¤ Canada should ensure that its annual NGO Consultations address the most egregious human rights abuses, even if the political will of the Commission blocks such discussions

SECTION C. THE UNCHR AGENDA

¤ Canada should call for a complete overhaul of the UNCHR agenda to ensure that disproportionate amounts of time and resources are not expended in adhering to the dictates of the African/Asian member states

¤ Canada should insist that abuses by Commission members are put on the agenda for discussion at the Commission

¤ Canada should work to ensure that human rights abuses reported to the Commission under Resolution 1503, and all discussions under this in camera mechanism, be made public

SECTION D. MANDATE OF THE SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR

¤ Canada should cease using the politically charged and inherently biased phrase “occupied territories”, and instead refer to the areas under discussion as “disputed territories”

¤ Canada should resist all attempts to label as either “illegal” or “alien” the presence of Jews living in territories where there has been a Jewish presence for millennia

¤ Canada should disassociate itself from the “cycle of violence” rationale that puts the blame for Palestinian suicide bombers on their victims — the Israelis

¤ Canada should distance itself publicly from Reports of the Special Rapporteurs and express its dissatisfaction with resolutions of the Commission that betray the type of warped reasoning found in these Reports

SECTION E. CANADA’S VOTING RECORD AT UNCHR

¤ Canada should distance itself from the positions of countries that endorse violence and terrorism against Israel

¤ Canada should oppose resolutions that create the framework for this type of anti-Israel activity

¤ Canada should refrain from the practice of abstaining on inherently biased anti-Israel resolutions that have nothing to do with the promotion of peace, and should instead speak out and vote against them

SECTION F. DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

¤ Canada should work towards the identification, banning and dismantling of all terrorist organizations, both at home and abroad, including Palestinian terrorist entities such as the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades and the Tanzim

¤ The Department’s foreign policy stance, as reflected in its positions at the UN and related agencies, should reflect Canada’s determination to root out all forms of terrorism

¤ Canada should withdraw its support and recognition from PA leader Yasser Arafat as a consequence of his involvement in terrorist activities and his corrupt and despotic rule

¤ Canada should call for a Commission of Enquiry into the increased use of UNWRA facilities and resources to breed a culture of violence and hatred, and should make financial aid contingent on substantial reform in these areas

SECTION G. TERRORISM

¤ Canada should continue to resist all efforts by Commission members to endorse terrorist activities and tactics against Israel

¤ In any new resolutions against terrorism, Canada should press for inclusion of the language enshrined in the relevant UN Conventions, which clearly outlaw all terrorist acts, whatever their motivation

SECTION H. RACISM AND RACIAL DISCRIMINATION

¤ Canada should sponsor the following amendments to the preambular paragraphs of any new resolution on “Combating defamation of religion”, to ensure that UNCHR puts all vulnerable religious communities under its protection:

Alarmed at the serious growth of instances of religious intolerance and acts of violence based on religion or belief that have occurred in recent years against members of various religious groups, including Christian denominations

Alarmed at the strong impact of the Middle East conflict throughout the world which has translated into a serious increase in acts of physical and rhetorical violence against Jews and Jewish institutions, not seen since the 1930’s

Emphasizing that States and the media under their control have an important role to play in the promotion of tolerance and protection of freedom of religion and belief

¤ Canada should sponsor the following amendments to the operational paragraphs of the resolution:

Expresses deep concern at the negative stereotyping of religions and the programmes pursued by extremist organizations and groups aimed at defamation of religions, in particular when supported by Governments

Requests the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance to examine acts of religious intolerance throughout the world, with special reference to physical assaults and attacks against businesses, cultural centres and places of worship of Christians and Jews and other religious minorities in many parts of the world and to submit a preliminary report on his findings for consideration by the Commission at its next session

SECTION I. FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION

¤ Paragraph 6 of the last year’s UNCHR resolution should be amended to read:

“Recalls that the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights states that the exercise of the right to freedom of expression carries with it special duties and responsibilities and may therefore be subject to sorption restrictions as set out in article 19 and 20 of the Covenant...”