Overview of perspectives on international developments and Canada’s participation in international contexts
Indigenous partners continue to encourage us to better understand other perspectives on UN Declaration implementation and to learn from practices in other jurisdictions and other countries. Canada continues to meet and work with countries in multilateral fora at the United Nations (UN) such as the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (PFII) and at the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (EMRIP). In 2024-2025, Canadian officials participated in several international meetings including the 23rd session of the PFII (April 2024), the 17th session of the EMRIP (July 2024), and two intersessional meetings of the Human Rights Council on enhancing Indigenous peoples’ participation at the UN (July and October 2024).
At the international level, the Permanent Forum and Expert Mechanism monitor and promote global implementation of the UN Declaration. Domestically, Canada’s efforts to implement can be informed by the work of these fora, for example as viewed through the Expert Mechanism’s 2024 Study on laws, legislation, policies, constitutions, judicial decisions and other mechanisms through which States have taken measures to achieve the ends of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, in accordance with article 38 of the Declaration.
One of the federal government’s international Indigenous policy priorities in 2024-2025 was to enhance the participation of Indigenous peoples in decision-making at the UN. In line with the Outcome Document of the World Conference of Indigenous Peoples and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Canada advocates that Indigenous peoples have the right to participate in decisions that affect them at the United Nations. In developing its positions, Canada works closely with an Indigenous ad hoc working group on enhanced participation and resolution negotiations. In 2024, the Human Rights Council held two, two-day intersessional meetings on enhanced participation, one of which Canada co-facilitated. After these intersessional meetings, Canada with the other chairs, produced a joint report of outcomes and recommendations. At the UN General Assembly in 2024, Canada, as co-facilitator, conducted consultations with Indigenous peoples and Member States on enhanced participation. This work will continue in 2025-2026.
In addition, Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada, Global Affairs Canada, and Canadian Heritage continued to prioritize the UN Declaration Act as the framework for the participation of Indigenous peoples in international forums including the UN human rights Treaty body reporting and review process (SP109) and in trade negotiations (SP72). Other departments also used the UN Declaration Act to support their participation at the World Intellectual Property Organization, at the 6th Convening of the Trilateral Working Group on Violence against Indigenous Women and Girls in Mexico (September 2024) to advance SP9 and SP10, and at the Conference of Parties meeting at the UN Climate Change Conference (November 2024), which help to advance implementation of Shared Priorities Measures 9, 10, 11, 46, and 101.
This year marks the 40th anniversary of the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Indigenous Peoples, which has been instrumental in ensuring that the voices of Indigenous peoples worldwide are heard within the United Nations system, including that of women, representatives of the 2SLGBTQI+ community, persons with disabilities and youth. Over the past four decades, the Fund has supported the participation of thousands of representatives of Indigenous communities and organizations to participate in UN mechanisms and processes, contributing significantly to the global Indigenous movement and the implementation of the UN Declaration. In recent years, Canada has figured among the top donors to the Fund and associated UN Indigenous Fellowship Programme.
Finally, to further inform its approach to supporting UN Declaration Act implementation, Global Affairs Canada conducted a mapping exercise (26 structured interviews and focus groups with approximately 80 participants across 17 federal departments) to gather detailed input on existing consultation protocols, cooperative mechanisms, and implementation challenges for Indigenous participation in Canada’s international activities. These internal discussions identified that greater work is required in how the UN Declaration Act is considered in the federal government’s international activities.
Department of Justice Canada
- Date modified: