UN sends human rights envoy to assess plight of Aboriginal Peoples in Canada

The UN has dispatched law professor James Anaya to speak to First Nations representatives and government officials as he drafts a report for the world body.

“The idea is to get a first-hand view of the situation of Aboriginal Peoples in Canada by hearing directly from as many as I can,” he said in a telephone interview.

As the UN’s special rapporteur on indigenous rights, Anaya is responsible for promoting laws and policies that support indigenous peoples around the world. He will also look at their living conditions and issue reports and recommendations.

The rapporteur has no binding authority. Rather, he aims to shame governments into action by bringing unacceptable conditions to light.

The federal government will get a chance to respond to Anaya’s findings before a final report is circulated and presented next year to the UN Human Rights Council.

The report will include recommendations for the federal government, First Nations and possibly other groups.

(2013-10-07/NP)