Canada supports diplomatic efforts established for Iran to return to full implementation of Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action 

January 14, 2020 - Ottawa, Ontario - Global Affairs Canada

The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today released the following statement:

“Canada strongly supports the diplomatic engagement of France, Germany and the United Kingdom in pressing Iran to respect its commitments under the agreement, including through activating the Dispute Resolution Mechanism.

“Canada is a lead contributor to the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA’s) robust monitoring and verification of Iran’s implementation of its commitments. We believe that the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), when fully implemented, is the best way to restrict Iran’s ability to attain nuclear weapons capability and urge Iran to immediately restore its full commitments to the JCPOA.”

Quick facts

• The JCPOA was negotiated in 2015 to constrain Iran from developing a nuclear weapons capability, in exchange for the waiver of key economic sanctions on Iran from the United Nations.
• Since 2014, Canada has contributed $15 million to the IAEA to monitor and verify Iran’s commitments under the JCPOA, including $2 million in October 2019.
• The Dispute Resolution Mechanism of the JCPOA is designed to aid in resolving issues among JCPOA members (France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Russia, China and Iran); however, should an issue not be resolved among members, the process could lead to a restoration of UN sanctions that were waived under the JCPOA.