UNITED NATIONS - Iran is pulling out all the stops at the United Nations to short-circuit a Canadian-led censure of the Islamic republic's human rights record -- and insiders say the Iranians may have the upper hand.

After coming to within just two votes last year of winning UN backing for tossing out the annually renewed resolution, Iran has been lavishing key "swing" states with economic goodies or offering them crucial political support on the world stage.

Pushing through the censure has become one of Canada's most important diplomatic tasks at the UN -- and Iranian success in a vote that could come as early as today would be seen as a serious set back in the promotion of human rights at the world body.

Diplomats say that pivotal this year are the votes of some 40 countries among the 192 member states of the UN General Assembly, and Canada's lobbying has included private appeals by Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon and Minister of State Peter Kent.

As in years past, Iran will seek to negate the human rights focus by winning majority support for a "no action" motion on the issue because it knows the idea of country-specific reviews is unpopular among many member states, some of which feel they may be next.

The 40-odd swing states are an eclectic mix driven by myriad interests.

They include places such as the Solomon Islands in the Pacific, where the parliament is split over a government bid for closer relations with Iran amid Iranian offers of technical assistance.

Another example is Serbia, which is angry with the West for effectively forcing it to give up Kosovo.

Even places such as Kenya and Ethiopia -- which are in addition big recipients of Canadian aid -- have shown they'll shift allegiances against a backdrop of Iranian investment offers and deals with Iranian companies.

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