Improving respect for Indigenous peoples’ rights

The Government of Canada has committed to a renewed nation-to-nation relationship with Canada’s Indigenous peoples, built on a foundation of:

• respect
• partnership
• recognition of rights

Prime Minister Trudeau has made it clear that no relationship is more important to Canada than the one with Indigenous peoples.

Domestic efforts to protect the internationally recognized rights of Indigenous peoples

Canada endorsed the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous peoples in 2010 In May 2016 we pledged to adopt and implement the Declaration in accordance with Canada’s Constitution and laws.

This is an expression of Canada’s commitment to fully implement the calls to action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. We do this in partnership with:

• Indigenous peoples
• the provinces
• territories
• other vital partners

Efforts to protect the rights of Indigenous peoples abroad

Canada is championing the rights of Indigenous peoples around the world. At the United Nations we support the:

• ongoing work of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (PFII)
• Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
• Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (EMRIP)

Canada has joined the Group of Friends of Indigenous Peoples, an informal group of states committed to promoting and protecting the rights of Indigenous peoples worldwide.

We also work to strengthen indigenous rights globally through development programming and bilateral advocacy.

Related links

• Implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in Canada
• Indigenous issues webpage of the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
• Indigenous Peoples and human rights in Canada
• Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues – 15th Session Report (May 2016)
• PM Trudeau speech to the Assembly of First Nations, December 2015
• UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
• United Nations Special Rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous peoples