Canada | Indegenous Peoples' Rights
UN Declaration on Rights of Indigenous Peoples implementation becomes Canadian law
Ottawa/IBNS: The United Nations (UN) Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act has received Royal Assent and immediately came into force affirming the human rights of indigenous peoples.
It provides Canada with a roadmap to advance reconciliation and this Act creates a legislative framework to implement the Declaration in Canada to close socio-economic gaps, advance reconciliation and renew relationships based on the affirmation of rights, respect, cooperation, and partnership.
As a result of almost 25 years of collaboration between the UN Member States and indigenous peoples from around the world, the Declaration was endorsed by the Government of Canada in 2016 and committed to its full and effective implementation.
Developed in consultation and collaboration with Indigenous Peoples, an action plan was developed to achieve the Declaration’s objectives and take all measures necessary to align federal laws with the Declaration and includes addressing injustice, racism, and discrimination against Indigenous Peoples, promote mutual respect, understanding through human rights education, and to ensure progress through regular reporting and oversight.
Carolyn Bennett, Canada's Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations said in a news release that this day is an important day for First Nations and Canada and added that all levels of the government need to work together with First Nations and other indigenous peoples to ensure the full implementation of the UN Declaration in Canada.
During the observation of National Indigenous Peoples Day on June 21, Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made the following statement,
“While today is a time to celebrate Indigenous peoples from coast to coast to coast, it is also an opportunity to acknowledge that there is much more work to do on the important journey to reconciliation. The recent tragic findings of remains near the former Kamloops Residential School serve as a stark reminder of the systemic oppression, inequalities, and discrimination that Indigenous peoples have endured over the past years, decades, and centuries, and the injustices and challenges they continue to face today...thousands of children who were sent to these schools never returned home...We must never forget those innocent souls lost – this must be our collective commitment toward reconciliation."
(Reporting by Asha Bajaj)
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