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Summary
In this Current Issues podcast, special host Andrew Thompson is joined by Paul Joffe to discuss the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The Declaration, which was adopted in 2007 by the UN General Assembly, is the most comprehensive international human rights instrument that specifically deals with indigenous peoples. Since its adoption, the Declaration has been used in court cases by domestic courts and used at the regional level by key bodies such as the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. Furthermore, the UN is implementing a system wide action plan so that the Declaration is used throughout the United Nations. In Canada, the implications of the Declaration can be seen in the proposed Bill C-262 which is “An Act to ensure that the laws of Canada are in harmony with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.” Thompson and Joffe’s discussion of Bill C-262 shows both the significance of the legislation in Canada and the broader impact of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.