Working with International Organizations

At the United Nations  , Canada has strongly supported the inclusion of indigenous issues in the work of various UN bodies. Canada played a key role in the creation of UN mechanisms dealing with indigenous issues, including the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues  , the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples   and the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples  . In 2010, Canada joined a global consensus and endorsed the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

In recent years, the UN human rights system has paid a great deal of attention to Aboriginal issues in Canada. For more information on UN Human Rights Treaty Bodies and Canada’s reports to them, please consult the Human Rights section of the Canadian Heritage   web site.

At the Organization of American States  , Canada led efforts to ensure the inclusion and recognition of the perspectives of Indigenous peoples as part of the Summits of the Americas. Canada’s support for the Indigenous Peoples Summit of the Americas   process helped to elevate awareness and attention to the rights and living conditions of Aboriginal peoples throughout the Americas.

In 1996, Canada also held the first chairmanship of the Arctic Council   and promoted a more strategic approach to Arctic sustainable development. Canada will assume the chairmanship again in 2013.