Canada`s wrong on human rights

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By Paul Berton

It should be embarrassing for Canadians that our very own Louise Arbour says we aren't as committed to human rights as we like to portray ourselves.

Arbour, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, says it is "astonishing" Canada has refused to support the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which passed the General Assembly last month by a vote of 143-4.

Not surprisingly, we joined in our opposition the likes of the United States, Australia and New Zealand, all nations with large aboriginal populations.

The refusal to sign, explains the Tory government, was based on the fact the UN declaration is too broad and conflicts with the Canadian constitution.

Perhaps, but most Canadians know our record on human rights is vulnerable indeed with regard to First Nations issues. We know it in our hearts, and we've been told -- warned -- by various native leaders and protests that it is unfair and cannot persist.

The issues are complex, the complainants are not without many faults of their own, and solutions take time, but there is ample evidence that governments across Canada can move more quickly to solve various roadblocks and settle disputes, and better indicate that progress is being made.

It's not just a reluctance to sign the UN declaration, it's an inability by all Canadians to act -- to do the right thing.

What's more, says Arbour, a former Supreme Court justice, the refusal -- and lukewarm support for other related UN initiatives -- is indicative of a nation reluctant to live up to its flagging international reputation as a leader in human rights and peacekeeping.

So, either we're serious about that reputation, or we're not. Many would say it's outdated, old-fashioned, unrealistic, impractical and who cares anyway?

But many Canadians are proud of our reputation on the international stage, we believe it's more relevant than ever before, and we know it helps us politically, socially and economically. We know it can make us an important player in the new global order.

And we can't pretend to maintain the reputation internationally if we don't live up to it at home.


It should be embarrassing for Canadians that our very own Louise Arbour says we aren't as committed to human rights as we like to portray ourselves.

Arbour, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, says it is "astonishing" Canada has refused to support the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which passed the General Assembly last month by a vote of 143-4.

Not surprisingly, we joined in our opposition the likes of the United States, Australia and New Zealand, all nations with large aboriginal populations.

The refusal to sign, explains the Tory government, was based on the fact the UN declaration is too broad and conflicts with the Canadian constitution.

Perhaps, but most Canadians know our record on human rights is vulnerable indeed with regard to First Nations issues. We know it in our hearts, and we've been told -- warned -- by various native leaders and protests that it is unfair and cannot persist.

The issues are complex, the complainants are not without many faults of their own, and solutions take time, but there is ample evidence that governments across Canada can move more quickly to solve various roadblocks and settle disputes, and better indicate that progress is being made.

It's not just a reluctance to sign the UN declaration, it's an inability by all Canadians to act -- to do the right thing.

What's more, says Arbour, a former Supreme Court justice, the refusal -- and lukewarm support for other related UN initiatives -- is indicative of a nation reluctant to live up to its flagging international reputation as a leader in human rights and peacekeeping.

So, either we're serious about that reputation, or we're not. Many would say it's outdated, old-fashioned, unrealistic, impractical and who cares anyway?

But many Canadians are proud of our reputation on the international stage, we believe it's more relevant than ever before, and we know it helps us politically, socially and economically. We know it can make us an important player in the new global order.

And we can't pretend to maintain the reputation internationally if we don't live up to it at home.