Indigenous Rights in Canada‏

FREE, PRIOR, INFORMED CONSENT

Urge Canada to safeguard the human rights of Indigenous Peoples affected by resource development projects at home and
abroad

There is a global rush for resources underway. Canada is at the centre of this resource rush but the impacts are being felt in Indigenous communities around the world. Take Action. 

An estimated three-quarters of the world’s mining and minerals exploration companies are headquartered in Canada. Through new trade agreements and other initiatives, the federal government is opening doors for further expansion of Canadian oil and gas, mining and other extractive industries, around the world—including in countries like Colombia and Guatemala where there is widespread and brutal violation of the human rights of Indigenous peoples.

Join Amnesty International’s call to the Canadian government to ensure that Indigenous Rights are safeguarded whenever they may be affected by resource companies operating at home and abroad.  

The federal government, through its Economic Action Plan, is backing the development of an estimated 600 new large-scale resource extraction projects across Canada in the next decade. A great many of these projects will affect lands and territories that First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples depend on to provide for their families and practice their cultures and traditions.

International human rights bodies have recognized the need for rigorous protection of the rights of Indigenous peoples whenever their lands are targeted for resource development.

The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples calls for the full and effective participation of Indigenous peoples in all decisions potentially affecting their lands so that their laws and customs are respected, their perspectives listened to, and their own models of development implemented.

The standards set out in the Declaration are rapidly gaining momentum. Influential private sector organizations have acknowledged the importance of Indigenous peoples’ free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) where development on their traditional lands could lead to serious impacts on their rights.

On the ground, however, the practice is often very different. Governments and companies pursuing resource development on Indigenous lands often refuse to take no for an answer. And in many countries, Indigenous peoples are at grave risk just for voicing their opposition. This situation is made worse by the government of Canada’s ongoing refusal to acknowledge FPIC or make it a condition of support or approval of resource development projects.

The right of Indigenous peoples to make their own decisions about the use of their lands and resources provides a vital safeguard for distinctive cultures and ways of life that have long been marginalized and discriminated against.

In the midst of a global rush for resources, this safeguard is needed more than ever.

Please add your name to our online appeal urging the government of Canada to adopt policies and regulations that uphold the vitally important standard of free, prior and informed consent at home and abroad.
 

 Click here to Take Action.

Sincerely,

Alex Neve
Secretary General
Amnesty International Canada