Coast Salish Territory/Vancouver – On the eve of the second anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Canada continues its shameful opposition and disregard of this valuable human rights instrument.
The UN Declaration affirms the “minimum standards for the survival, dignity and well-being of the indigenous peoples of the world”. It was overwhelmingly supported by the United Nations General Assembly on September 13, 2007, with 144 States voting in favour of adoption.
“Canadians must continue to put pressure on the Conservative government to abandon their offensive and ill willed opposition to the UN Declaration and the collective rights of the indigenous peoples in Canada and around the world”, said Grand Chief Edward John, a member of the First Nations Summit Political Executive. “It is unfortunate that despite vast global support, Canada has chosen to disregard the rights of the world’s Indigenous peoples and thus can no longer be looked at by the international community as a leading advocate for human rights.”