Check out our growing collection of useful links and resources about Canada and the United Nations, including our international Missions, government resources, publications and reports. Be sure to visit our main site or see our other Talk Rights articles on Canada and the UN to learn more about CCLA’s engagement with the UN. Is there something that should be on this list, but isn’t? Contribute at talkrights [at] ccla [dot] org.
PERMANENT MISSIONS
The Permanent Mission of Canada to the United Nations in New York
The Permanent Mission of Canada to the Office of the United Nations in Geneva
The Permanent Delegation of Canada to UNESCO in Paris
The Permanent Mission of Canada to International Organisations in Vienna
The Permanent Mission of Canada to the Office of the United Nations in Nairobi
The Permanent Mission of Canada to the FAO in Rome
The Permanent Mission of Canada to the ICAO in Montreal
POLICY
Human Rights
Canada’s International Human Rights Policy
- Background piece on Canada’s human rights policy, including human rights treaties that Canada has ratified.
How Canada Works with the United Nations
- Presents the way in which Canada ratifies international human rights treaties due to the division of power between the federal and provincial governments.
CHILDREN’S RIGHTS
- Details why children’s rights are a central concern in Canada’s foreign policy.
- Provides a general overview of how armed conflict threatens children’s lives. Also examines Canada’s historical role in protecting children in armed conflict, and its continued commitment to this issue.
- Discusses the issue of child labour and Canada’s continued dedication to this issue. Lists UN conventions that Canada has ratified and other ways in which it has contributed to ending child labour.
Sexual Exploitation of Children
- Explains Canada’s commitment to ending the sexual exploitation of children and the documents it has ratified and contributed to with this goal in mind.
Safe and Secure Futures for Children and Youth
- Identifies secure futures for children as a key development challenge and priority for Canada and explains Canada’s approach to the issue. It also provides information on positive results that have resulted from child protection activities, and provides links to relevant UNICEF reports and Canadian development projects.
Helping End Child, Early and Forced Marriage
- Details Canada’s role in drawing attention to this issue at the United Nations by developing resolutions and initiatives to raise awareness. Also demonstrates Canada’s programming in this respect
GENDER EQUALITY
- Highlights the Canadian foreign policy priority of gender equality and Canada’s work at the United Nations to strengthen commitments to this important issue
Canada’s commitment to gender equality and the advancement of women’s rights internationally
- Explains the importance of gender equality to Canadian foreign policy, and highlights Canada’s role at the United Nations in making gender equality a priority. Also emphasizes its importance by characterizing gender equality as both a foreign policy priority and a development priority.
- Discusses the role Status of Women Canada has in preparing for the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women annual meetings. Includes reports and information on sessions dating back to 2012, and provides useful links for further information.
Elimination of Violence against Women
- Focuses on Canada’s foreign policy priority of reducing violence against women and explains how Canada’s work at the United Nations has contributed to this goal.
INDIGENOUS AFFAIRS
Improving Respect for Indigenous Peoples’ Rights
- Brief look at Canada’s engagement in indigenous rights with the United Nations and other organizations.
PEACE & SECURITY
Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding Operations
- Focuses on Canada’s role in peacekeeping and its relations with UN Peace Operations.
CLIMATE CHANGE
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
- Details Canada’s role in the UNFCCC and provides links to climate change reports.
PUBLICATIONS & REPORTS
Human Rights Generally
Report of the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review (2013)
- UN review of Canada’s human rights record. Includes recommendations on how to improve human rights from other member states, and an assessment of Canada’s respect for human rights under various instruments such as the UN Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Universal Periodic Review of Canada – National Report (2013)
- Report submitted by the Canadian government on the steps Canada has taken to improve its human rights record and fulfill its human rights obligations.
Compilation prepared by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (2013)
- A summary compiling information from various reports of special procedures and treaty bodies on Canada’s human rights record.
Consideration of reports submitted by States parties under article 40 of the Covenant – Canada
- Reports on Canada’s success in implementing the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Focuses on both nation-wide and provincial measures adopted to give effect to the Covenant.
Concluding observations on the sixth periodic report of Canada (2015)
- The Human Rights Committee evaluates Canada’s commitment to implement the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and provides recommendations to improve.
CHILDREN’S RIGHTS
Canadian Coalition for the Rights of Children Alternative Report on Children’s Rights in Canada
- Provides a download link to a report prepared for consideration in the Third Review of Canada by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child. Also gives links to further reports on children with disabilities, right to education, and other children’s rights
Recommendations for Canada from the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child
- A summary of recommendations to ensure that all children in Canada under the age of 18 can benefit from the rights listed in the Convention on the Rights of the Child
GENDER EQUALITY
Canada’s National Review of the Implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (2014)
- A report submitted to the United Nations that focuses on Canada’s successes and failures in implementing the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. The Beijing Declaration was established to improve equality for women around the world.
Canada Country Profile on the Global Gender Gap
- Contains statistics on Canada’s rankings on gender parity.
The Global Gender Gap Index 2015
- Although this is a general and comparative report on the gender gap around the world, there are some useful statistics and comparisons between Canada and other countries
INDIGENOUS RIGHTS
The situation of indigenous peoples in Canada (2014)
- A report by the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples on the human rights of indigenous peoples in Canada. Examines key human rights concerns in this area and recommendations on how Canada can improve its record.
Access to Justice for Aboriginal Children
- A report submitted by the Canadian Human Rights Commission to the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. This report explains the social context of aboriginal children in Canada and the barriers they face in access to justice.
- The Native Women’s Association of Canada submitted this report focusing on current challenges facing aboriginal women with regard to accessing justice.
- In response to a study conducted by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on indigenous language and culture study, the Government of Nunavut prepared this report to share its view on what role language and culture plays in the promotion and protection of the identity and the rights of indigenous people.
CLIMATE CHANGE
- This report outlines the role Canada can play at the Paris climate summit (21st Conference of the Parties in Paris (COP21), November 30 – December 11, 2015) and explains certain issues that will be considered.
Canada’s Sixth National Report on Climate Change 2014
- The purpose of this report is to meet Canada’s commitments under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. It covers Canada’s national circumstances with relation to climate change, provides a green house gas inventory, and extrapolates on climate change policies, amongst others.
Acting on Climate Change: Solutions from Canadian Scholars
A report written by Canadian scholars from across the country, identifying policy actions that should be adopted to comply with United Nations goals of more ambitious climate change policies. Explains the role of each level of government, as well as how Canada can make the transition to a low-carbon society.
About the Canadian Civil Liberties Association
The CCLA is an independent, non-profit organization with supporters from across the country. Founded in 1964, the CCLA is a national human rights organization committed to defending the rights, dignity, safety, and freedoms of all people in Canada.
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