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Advancing the Human Rights System
| "Other countries see [Canada] as a source of innovative ideas, and a catalyst that inspires advances in human rights around the world." |
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| Chief Commissioner Lynch speaking on December 8, 2008, during a ceremony celebrating the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. |
As a recognized leader in regional and international human rights networks, the Commission energetically spearheads initiatives and builds consensus on a wide variety of human rights issues. The Commission has contributed to creating a culture of cooperation amongst National Human Rights Institutions and advancing their role at every level. The Commission also works with its domestic partners to meet Canada’s international human rights obligations and improve and strengthen Canada’s human rights system.
Strengthening the Role of National Human Rights Institutions
The Commission is proud to lead the International Coordinating Committee of National Institutions for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights (ICC) at such a dynamic time in its history.
This past year as Chair of the ICC, the Commission:
- modernized the legal and governance framework of the ICC, incorporating it in Swiss jurisdiction;
- increased National Human Rights Institution and ICC engagement with other United Nations human rights mechanisms (i.e. Special Procedures, Treaty Bodies, and the Universal Periodic Review); and
- strengthened the fairness, transparency, and rigour of the ICC accreditation process.
Much of the success achieved over the past year continues to be attributed to active efforts to strengthen a culture of cooperation within the ICC. In its capacity as Chair, the Commission led the development and implementation of a new leadership model and structure that more actively engages all four regions – the Americas, Africa, Asia-Pacific, and Europe – in consensus building and decision making.
To strengthen the Inter-American human rights system, the Commission led steps to advance the role for NHRIs within the Organization of American States. The Organization adopted a resolution in June 2008 that recognized and formalized the participation of national human rights institutions as well as their regional and international coordinating bodies (the Network of the Americas and the ICC).
The Commission also received broad support for its renewal until 2010 as a member of the Coordinating Committee for the Network of the Americas. In this role, the Commission will continue to strengthen National Human Rights Institutions’ efforts for the promotion and protection of human rights within the Americas.
The Universal Periodic Review is a unique process whereby the human rights record of each of the 192 UN Member States is reviewed once every four years by the United Nations Human Rights Council.
In its capacity as Chair of the ICC, the Commission led the development of best practices and guidelines for National Human Rights Institutions’ involvement in the Universal Periodic Review. Regional and international workshops were also held to foster a better understanding of how the ICC can best support National Human Rights Institutions’ engagement in the Universal Periodic Review process as well as in the work of the other United Nations human rights mechanisms. The Commission worked in collaboration with the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights; the Canadian-based statutory agency, Rights and Democracy; and the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie to organize and deliver these workshops.
The Commission was also involved in the Universal Periodic Review process first-hand as Canada is subject to a review in 2009. In developing its submission, the Commission carried out extensive research and consulted with all provincial and territorial human rights commissions in the country, as well as over 60 Non-Governmental Organizations. This consultation was facilitated through the Canadian International Human Rights Network, established by Rights and Democracy.
There is currently no systematic way to track how well Canada is achieving its human rights objectives. The Commission has been working diligently to address this issue by creating the Human Rights Report Card. The first of its kind, the Human Rights Report Card will be a powerful tool that provides Canadians with a comprehensive picture of human rights in Canada. This information would in turn assist policy and program makers in identifying where interventions may be required.
Recognizing that successfully implementing and managing such a tool requires the support of organizations from Canada’s human rights community, the Commission engaged the Canadian Association of Statutory Human Rights Agencies; and is in the process of conducting consultations with federal, provincial and territorial government representatives, professionals and experts, and NGOs to ensure that this project is national in scope and speaks to the needs of all Canadians.
