Reaffirming Canada's Commitments to International Human Rights

Abstract

In February 2009 the Government of Canada was, once again, urged by the United Nations to address the growing gap between its international human rights obligations and the reality facing vulnerable groups in Canada.  This time the concerns and recommendations came from many diverse states participating in the UN Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Canada.  Canada has the opportunity to engage meaningfully in the UPR process that it helped create by responding constructively to the important concerns and recommendations that were expressed. But this will mean treating our international human rights obligations here at home much more seriously than has been done in recent years.

Keywords: Canada, United Nations, human rights, Universal Periodic Review, UPR, recommendations, international