Still a matter of rights : Special report of the Canadian Human Rights Commission on the repeal of section 67 of the Canadian Human Rights Act

Still A Matter of Rights A Special Report of the Canadian Human Rights Commission on the Repeal of Section 67 of the Canadian Human Rights Act January 2008 Still A Matter of Rights A Special Report of the Canadian Human Rights Commission on the Repeal of Section 67 of the Canadian Human Rights Act January 2008 This report is available on request in alternative formats and at the Commission’s websi [...] The duty to consult The perspective of many witnesses before the Committee, including the Assembly of First Nations (AFN), is that government has a clear duty to consult with First Nations on any matter that could affect treaty or Aboriginal rights, and that it is a matter of the honour of the Crown.7 Still others advised that consultation must be on a nation-by-nation basis, and that consultation [...] People we heard from recalled with sorrow Canada’s failure to implement the recommendations of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples, the unfulfilled promise of the Kelowna Accord and Canada’s vote against the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. [...] For human rights redress to be effective, First Nations, the Government of Canada and the Commission must work together to build a redress mechanism that will serve the unique needs and situation of First Nations and protect the rights of all citizens. [...] The recently adopted United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples makes this clear in its opening articles: Indigenous peoples have the right to the full enjoyment, as a collective or as individuals, of all human rights and fundamental freedoms as recognized in the Charter of the United Nations, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and international human rights law.