Mr. President,
Canada believes that the current resolution does not adequately address issues which we believe are truly important to improving the work and functioning of the Human Rights Council.  In particular, the current resolution, and the Geneva outcome that it incorporates, do nothing to improve upon the Council's ability to address urgent situations, UPR implementation by member states or cooperation of states with special procedures, nor does it take any steps towards improving the Council's membership.  
 
Throughout the New York portion of the review, Canada has clearly stated that any review of the Council's status must include a reflection on those elements relevant to the Council's status at the time of its establishment, including its composition and criteria for membership.  Because membership on the Council remains limited, it is all the more important that those who serve on the Council live up to the criteria set out in General Assembly resolution 60/251.  This is why throughout this review process Canada advocated for the inclusion of measures intended to better illustrate the efforts of candidates to meet the membership criteria set out in resolution 60/251, namely the contribution of candidates to the promotion and protection of human rights and their voluntary pledges and commitments made thereto, as well as the need for members of the Council to uphold the highest standards in the promotion and protection of human rights and to fully cooperate with the Council.  Canada is disappointed that despite cross-regional support from a number of countries, this resolution contains no reference to the holding of interactive dialogues between candidates and member states and civil society, the inclusion of measurable commitments such as clear responses to Special Procedures' requests to visit, or follow-up reports by candidates on the implementation of their pledges and commitments.  
 
Mr. President,
As for the results of this review process more generally, Canada once more raises its concern over the Council's disproportionate focus placed on the situation in the Middle East. We had hoped that this review would result in the elimination of Item 7 from the Council's agenda but sadly, that did not happen. As we stated during our intervention to the Open-Ended Intergovernmental Working Group in Geneva, Canada believes that Agenda Item 7 undermines the Human Rights Council's goal of ensuring universality, objectivity and non-selectivity in the consideration of human rights issues, and the elimination of double standards and politicization.  
 
Canada has concerns with the increasingly unbalanced language found in resolutions actioned under Agenda Item 7. In particular, some of the language in those resolutions continues to be divisive at a time when the goal should be to work to bring the parties back to negotiations. Canada will continue to encourage this Assembly to focus its attention on assisting the parties in their efforts towards a comprehensive, negotiated two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, rather than contribute to their further polarization. 
 
For all of these reasons, Canada voted no on this resolution.