International Program

The Commission's central goal in engaging in international activities is to establish links of mutual support and understanding among national human rights institutions. Its work occurs at the international level through the United Nations, the Americas, and the Francophonie, and at the bilateral level through assistance to other commissions.

During the year, the Commission revived bilateral cooperation with the Indian Human Rights Commission on the rights of persons with disabilities and with the Human Rights Commission of Nepal on the human rights complaint process, participated in an expert mission to the Human Rights Office in Latvia, continued bilateral cooperation with Komnas Ham of Indonesia, and furthered discussions with the Mexican Human Rights Commission on areas of cooperation. The Commission received a large number of visiting delegations: from Russia, Nigeria, Tunisia, Uganda, Portugal, Rwanda, Bulgaria, Israel, Czech Republic, Japan, Ethiopia, Indonesia, China, and the European Commission. At the request of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Commission also hosted a one-month internship for a three-member delegation from the Madagascar Human Rights Commission.

At the multilateral level, the major event of 2001 was the World Conference Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance. In late August, Commission representatives were among 18,000 conference participants in Durban, South Africa. The meeting of the national institutions, held just prior to the World Conference, was recognized as one of the event’s positive contributions. The negotiations spearheaded by the Commission resulted in the national institutions producing a Declaration to the World Conference that proposed a range of concrete and cooperative actions against racism.

There were other international events of importance to the Commission throughout the year. The Commission helped prepare for the Summit of the Americas in Quebec City to ensure that the role of national human rights institutions in the hemisphere would be recognized and supported by leaders. The final Plan of Action adopted by the Summit called for strengthening the network of national human rights institutions in the hemisphere and, at the end of last year, the Commission hosted the meeting of the Hemispheric Working Group to complete work on the statutes and establish the network’s operational plan. The network’s establishment is an important and promising initiative. Its main objectives are information exchange, staff training, joint projects, and periodic regional meetings and seminars on human rights issues of importance in the hemisphere. Late in the year, the Commission participated in work to establish a similar network of national human rights institutions in countries of the Francophonie.

Interacting with Canadians

In 2001, the Commission continued to touch Canadians’ lives in many different ways, whether through public education seminars addressing various audiences across the country, or investigations conducted by staff.

It was another active year in the ongoing relationship between the Commission and the media. Throughout 2001, staff responded to some 450 calls from journalists and broadcasters. These ranged from fact-finding inquiries and interviews, to requests for information regarding various aspects of human rights both in Canada and abroad. The Commission’s tabling of a special report on pay equity calling on major changes in the system sparked considerable media interest.

The Commission’s reception staff, both at headquarters and across the regions, received close to 45,000 calls in 2001. Callers hail from across the country and all walks of life, seeking human rights information from the Commission. Many of them make their first contact with the Commission through electronic mail. In 2001, almost 4,000 people e-mailed the Commission through its web site.

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