Protecting the human rights of First Nations, Inuit and Métis is essential to creating a fair, inclusive and equitable society where everyone can live with dignity, authenticity, and safety.
On June 18, the Honourable Arif Virani, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, tabled the third annual progress report on the implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (UN Declaration Act). The report tracks federal government progress made to implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UN Declaration) in Canada by following our roadmap: the UN Declaration Act Action Plan, released in June 2023.
The perspectives of more than 50 First Nations, Inuit and Métis rights holders and representative organizations and reporting from over 40 federal government departments and agencies form the foundation of this year's report.
Highlights of progress made on Action Plan measures this year include:
- developing an Indigenous Justice Strategy to address systemic discrimination and the overrepresentation of Indigenous people in the criminal justice system (Shared Priorities Measure 28)
- advancing water and wastewater service transfer to First Nations communities, including through the introduction of Bill C-61, An Act respecting water, source water, drinking water, wastewater and related infrastructure on First Nation lands (First Nations Priorities Measure 17)
- consulting with Indigenous partners and representative organizations on border-crossing challenges long faced by Indigenous peoples whose traditional territories are divided by colonial borders (Shared Priorities Measure 52)
- revitalizing Indigenous languages by continuing to implement the Indigenous Languages Act (Shared Priorities Measure 92)
- ensuring consideration of Aboriginal and Treaty rights in all federal laws (Shared Priorities Measure 2 - non-derogation clause)
This year's report also identifies key areas for improvement going forward. These include the need for better coordination across the federal government, respectful yet efficient timelines for collaborative work and developing performance measures to better evaluate progress, adequate funding, and clear accountability.
While we have made progress, there is much more work ahead and we recognize the urgency to act and do more. In the year ahead, we look forward to working with Indigenous partners and across all government departments and agencies to accelerate and improve implementation of the UN Declaration Act.
We all have a role to play in upholding the human rights of First Nations, Inuit and Métis. Together we can build a more inclusive, harmonious and prosperous Canada for all.
