Ministers laud Bill C-15 as ‘critical step’ in upholding rights of Indigenous Peoples – The Lawyer’s Daily
June 18, 2021
On June 16, David Lametti, minister of justice and attorney general of Canada, and Carolyn Bennett, minister of Crown-Indigenous relations, issued a joint statement noting they are “very pleased that the Senate has passed Bill C-15, United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act” and they “eagerly await royal assent.”
This “represents a critical step in recognizing, promoting, protecting and upholding the human rights of Indigenous Peoples in Canada,” the statement said, noting that the bill “marks another important move forward in the evolving history of the Crown-Indigenous relationship, one that will help forge stronger relationships and support the path to self-determination for First Nations, Inuit and Métis while taking action to advance reconciliation, together.”
The implementation of the declaration through Bill C-15 is “part of the government’s commitment to addressing injustices, combating prejudice and eliminating all forms of violence, racism and discrimination, including systemic racism and discrimination, against Indigenous Peoples,” the statement added.
