Canada to Boycott U.N. Disarmament Body over Iran Role

Canada will boycott meetings of the U.N. Conference on Disarmament when Iran takes over the body this month, an official announced Tuesday, saying it makes a "mockery of disarmament issues."

Tehran will assume the presidency of the disarmament conference from May 27 until June 23 under an alphabetical rotation among the 65 member states.

"This makes a mockery of disarmament issues, and the world's sincere desire to make progress," said Rick Roth, spokesman for Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird.

"In Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and elsewhere, the regime is working directly against global disarmament goals and subverting the fundamental principles of this committee," he added.

The conference is struggling to craft a deal on nuclear disarmament, preventing arms from spreading to outer space and halting the development of other weapons of mass destruction.

Iran meanwhile faces four rounds of U.N. sanctions over its disputed nuclear program.

On Monday, a U.S. spokeswoman said American ambassadors will boycott meetings of the conference -- launched in 1979 to try to stem the Cold War arms race -- when Iran takes the helm.

Tehran takes over the presidency from Indonesia and at the end of June hands it off to Iraq.