Serving as Canada's national human rights institution

Overseeing human rights in Canada

The Commission is Canada's national human rights institution (NHRI). That means we protect, promote and monitor human rights in Canada, including disability rights.

Canada has agreed to follow international human rights laws. We track whether Canada is following these laws at home. We report on how Canada's laws and actions affect the human rights of people across the country. We speak out if Canada does something that could harm people's human rights.

NHRIs are independent bodies set up by countries all over the world. They must follow rules called the “Paris Principles.” These rules govern the work of all NHRIs.

All NHRIs are regularly reviewed to make sure they follow the Paris Principles. This process is called “accreditation.” This is led by the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI), with support from the United Nations (UN). NHRIs that follow all the Paris Principles are given “A status.” To be granted A-status means that as Canada’s NHRI, the Commission can participate fully and independently the UN Human Rights Council, its sub-bodies and other UN General Assembly bodies. The UN is an international organization that promotes human rights and cooperation around the world.

The accreditation process was established in 1999. Since then, without fail, the Commission has consistently been accredited and then reaccredited A-status.

The Commission was reaccredited as operating in full compliance with the Paris Principles in March 2023, and this was confirmed in the fall of 2024.

Holding Canada to its human rights commitments

We make sure Canada is following its international human rights commitments. This includes raising human rights concerns and advocating to make things better in Canada. We do this by:

Working with the international human rights community at the United Nations. This includes independent experts such as Special Rapporteurs. We raise awareness about human rights concerns in Canada. We advocate to improve human rights in Canada.

Sending reports to the UN about whether Canada is following its human rights commitments. Our reports are called “submissions.” These submissions raise new human rights concerns. They also bring attention to long-standing inequities. The UN then make recommendations to improve human rights in Canada.

Monitoring disability rights in Canada. We are Canada's National Monitoring Mechanism for the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). This means we track how Canada is putting the CRPD into action. We raise concerns about disability rights in all our work.

United Nations Committees

We raise human rights concerns in Canada with the committees listed below. These committees are called “treaty bodies.” They are made up of experts from around the world. They look at how countries are following international laws. They also make recommendations to improve human rights in Canada. The full list of publications in relation to this work can be found on the following Publications page.

Human Rights Committee: This committee checks whether countries follow the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Read our latest submission to the Human Rights Committee.

Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights: This committee checks whether countries follow the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. Read our latest submission to the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination: This committee checks whether countries follow the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. Read our latest submission to the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women: This committee checks whether countries follow the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. Read our latest submission to the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women.

Committee against Torture: This committee checks whether countries follow the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.
- Read our latest submission to the Committee against Torture
- Read our open letter calling for Canada to ratify OPCAT

Committee on the Rights of the Child: This committee checks whether countries follow the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Read our latest submission to the Committee on the Rights of the Child.

Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: This committee checks whether countries follow the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Human Rights Council

We advocate for change in Canada by sharing concerns and recommendations with the United Nations Human Rights Council. The Council promotes and protects human rights around the world. Here are examples of the tools it uses to do this.

Universal Periodic Reviews: The Council and other countries review Canada about every four years. They look at how Canada is protecting human rights. This process is called the “Universal Periodic Review”. During the review, we raise human rights concerns and recommend actions to improve human rights in Canada. Read our latest submission to the United Nations Human Rights Council.

Special Procedures: The Council chooses independent experts to monitor human rights issues. These “Special Procedures” include Special Rapporteurs and Working Groups. They visit countries and report on human rights. We raise human rights concerns in Canada with these experts. For example, we share information with the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. We have also made a submission to the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent.

Serving as Canada's national human rights institution

Overseeing human rights in Canada

Holding Canada to its human rights commitments

United Nations Committees

Human Rights Council

Other human rights organizations

United Nations Conventions