There’s always work to be done on the road to reconciliation, and the development of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) has been an integral step in the process. Though measures have been taken for its acceptance in Canada, Indigenous advocates are continually met with partisan resistance which works to prevent the concrete implementation of the declaration.
In her recent op-ed, UBC Professor and Indigenous Affairs Advisor Sheryl Lightfoot emphasizes the importance of understanding the declaration and outlines the ongoing endeavour for UNDRIP’s implementation.
“International standards of justice require that those responsible for human rights violations must do more than acknowledge and apologize for the harm that has been done. They must go further. They must take every reasonable measure to set things right and to prevent any recurrence of harms.”
Read the full article, “The road to reconciliation starts with the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples,” The Conversation (Sept.12, 2019) on their website.
Want to learn more about UNDRIP and what it means to implement it? Here are some resources:
- UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People (Full PDF document from the UN)
- UNDRIP FAQ (from the UN)
- Background from UBC’s Indigenous Foundations website
- Special Dialogue on Implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in British Columbia (PDF Report from RSHDC)