Few people in the world are in greater need of human rights protection than Indigenous peoples. Globally, about 370 million Indigenous people face widespread systemic discrimination, impoverishment, ill health, and dispossession of lands and resources. Although governments have a duty and responsibility to ensure the welfare and safety of all their citizens, Indigenous peoples are often the target of policies designed to erode or suppress their rights and distinct cultural identities. And Canada is no exception.
Indigenous peoples are entitled to the same human rights as other peoples and are supposed to be protected by existing international human rights covenants, such as the Conventions on Civil and Political Rights and Economic, Cultural and Social Rights, Racial Discrimination and Rights of the Child.
For years Indigenous peoples and human rights and social justice organizations have used these international human rights instruments to advocate for Aboriginal rights and justice. Over the coming years KAIROS will focus on the UN Declaration on Indigenous Peoples and the Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and Canada's compliance with it.
View the FAQ for a quick introduction to Canada & the Declaration.
See our overview for a backgrounder to this section.
