We are appalled and perplexed to see the continuing pattern of our government's voting record at UN institutions, with total disregard to international law and fundamental human rights.

The report of today's abstention at the draft resolution before the 48th.Session of the Commission on the Status of Women and the Economic and Social Council [ECOSOC], calling for " tangible improvement of the difficult situation of Palestinian women and their families....". Canada's abstention stands alone against 39 other member nations supporting the resolution, with only the US voting against the resolution.

We continue to claim proudly of our support for international law and the UN Charter, yet our voting record and actions, including our recent submission to the International Court of Justice [ICJ], related to the Israeli wall, display nothing but our role as a proxy for Israel and its policies in the Occupied Territories. These policies are in continuing blatant violation of virtually every article of the Fourth Geneva Convention, and thus tantamount to war crimes, as defined by international law. Our government's voice should be raised to terminate completely the illegal Israeli occupation of Palestinian and Syrian territory, that has been allowed to stand for 37 years, in defiance of international law and repeated Security Council resolutions.