TEHRAN – The Iranian Foreign Ministry issued a statement on Thursday condemning the inhuman conditions that the indigenous people of Canada are experiencing. 

The statement was issued two days after the fourth anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which was adopted on September 13, 2007.  

In the statement, the Foreign Ministry advised the Canadian government to abide by its commitments to the terms of the UN declaration and make concrete efforts to bridge the gap between indigenous and non-indigenous people in Canada, to provide indigenous people with the necessary facilities, and to refrain from using violence and practicing discrimination against indigenous people, particularly indigenous women. 

The Foreign Ministry also criticized the Canadian government for violating the rights of its indigenous people, who are called First Nations in Canada, saying the declaration in question can serve as a road map, which, if followed, will help restore the rights of indigenous people and increase the international community’s confidence in the country.