Ottawa, Dec 29 (IANS): Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird has said that his government would not renew its bid for a two-year temporary seat at the UN Security Council.

In an interview with the Canadian Press news agency published Wednesday, Baird said the Canadian government would not seek a Security Council seat after it failed last year.

"It's not something I envisage," the foreign minister said when asked whether he planned another bid for a two-year temporary term at the powerful council in the coming years.

Canada was badly beaten by Portugal in its bid last year, making it the first time in the six-decade history of the UN that Canada failed to win a seat for which it made a bid, reported Xinhua.

Some critics blamed the government's pro-Israel policies and strong support for the US for its failure.

Baird, however, said the UN members were reacting to what he said was Canada's tough stand on human rights.

"Maybe if we had shut up, and not talked about gay rights in Africa, maybe if we had shut up and been more quiet about our concerns about Sri Lanka, maybe if we hadn't been so vocally against the deplorable human rights record in Iran, maybe Iran might have voted for us," Baird said.

"But we didn't and I don't think we regret anything," he said.