A Government of Canada media release today announced that the Harper government has “formally endorsed the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples,” but adds the context, “in a manner fully consistent with Canada’s Constitution and laws.”
The government’s media release then highlights that, “While the Declaration is not legally binding, endorsing it as an important aspirational document is a significant step forward in strengthening relations with Aboriginal peoples.”
In their response, the “Assembly of First Nations National Chief Shawn A-in-chut Atleo stated that Canada’s endorsement of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples is a positive development that sets the stage for a new approach to building stronger First Nations and a stronger Canada.” The national chief emphasized, however, that, “now the real work begins.”
THE COUNCIL OF CANADIANS
On September 25, 2007, we issued a media release which stated, “The Council of Canadians denounces the Harper government for voting against the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples on September 13, 2007 along with the U.S., Australia and New Zealand. 143 countries voted in favour of the Declaration.”
(Since then, Australia signed the declaration in 2009 and New Zealand signed in 2010.)
The media release added that, “The Council of Canadians is demanding that the Canadian government show leadership on indigenous rights by supporting the Declaration and taking necessary measures to ensure justice for Aboriginal communities in Canada.”
The Council of Canadians consistently raised this issue in our opposition to Harper’s bid for a seat on the UN Security Council. We raised this matter directly with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon when he was in Ottawa this past May, and then with all 192 missions at the UN in September.
While Canada signing this Declaration is good, it did not come with an apology from the Harper government for originally voting against the Declaration, nor with an explanation for why it took more than three years to finally endorse it.
We also note that the Harper government’s media release says, “This government has also taken concrete and viable actions in important areas such as…access to safe drinking water.” This, of course, is not the same as recognizing the human right to water and sanitation, which the Harper government continues to refuse to do.
And as Amnesty International pointed out in their media release today, “The low-key announcement of Canada’s new position does not explicitly repudiate any of Canada’s previous objections to the Declaration. The public statement says only that the government…is ‘now confident that Canada can interpret the principles expressed in the Declaration in a manner that is consistent with our Constitution and legal framework.’”
The government media release is at http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Canada-Endorses-the-United-Nations-Declaration-on-the-Rights-of-Indigenous-Peoples-1352695.htm.
