A summary of the Submission to the Human Rights Committee on the occasion of Canada’s 7th Periodic Review – February 2026.
Summary
The Canadian Human Rights Commission (CHRC) is Canada's National Human Rights Institution, accredited with “A-status” by the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions since 1999. The CHRC has a mandate to promote and protect human rights and freedoms in Canada, including by monitoring Canada's implementation of its international human rights obligations. This summary highlights some key issues and recommendations from the CHRC written submission to the Human Rights Committee under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).
Context
Canada is facing a substantial cost of living crisis, which, at its core, is a human rights crisis. For people in Canada who were already facing long-standing and intersecting barriers to equity, the cost-of-living crisis has compounded those barriers. Those who experience socioeconomic inequality encounter additional barriers in accessing justice for violations of their rights, including those under the ICCPR. The CHRC urges the Committee to emphasize the interdependence and indivisibility of civil and political rights and economic, social and cultural rights. The CHRC also takes an intersectional approach throughout its submission, which is cognizant of the reality that for each issue raised, the impacts on people may be disproportionate or unique depending upon their lived reality and experiences.
Right to Life (Articles 1, 6)
Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD)
In the face of intersecting systemic inequalities and discrimination, some people with disabilities are turning to medical assistance in dying because they feel they do not have any other options to live in dignity. This is unacceptable.
Recommendation: That before taking further action on its expansion, Canada conduct a critical and thorough examination of what has happened since the coming into force of MAiD legislation, including by collecting the evidence and testimony necessary so that there is a clear understanding of who is accessing MAiD and why, and by ensuring that the experiences and concerns of those who are most marginalized are listened to, valued and addressed.
Homelessness & Encampments
The CHRC recognizes that disadvantaged communities and people living in vulnerable circumstances across Canada experience greater barriers in relation to housing. This includes Indigenous people, Black and racialized communities, women, people with disabilities, including those dealing with mental health and addiction issues, women and children experiencing domestic violence, those facing economic hardship, individuals identifying as 2SLGBTQI+ and youth.
Recommendation: That Canada implement the Federal Housing Advocate's recommendations to address homeless encampments. All levels of government must take immediate action to protect the right to life and dignity of all people living in encampments, reduce the risks that they face, and help them to stabilize their situation.
Climate Justice
The CHRC remains concerned that across Canada, people are becoming increasingly vulnerable to the health, economic and social effects of the climate crisis. Many young people cite climate change as the defining issue of their generation, with a large majority of children and youth in Canada both environmentally aware and concerned.
Recommendation: That Canada ensure that climate and environmental action and emergency initiatives, policies and programs meaningfully include disproportionately impacted populations at all stages of planning, implementation, and evaluation.
Rights of Indigenous Peoples (Articles 1, 2, 24, 26)
The CHRC views the situation of Indigenous peoples as one of the most pressing human rights issues facing Canada today. Indigenous peoples in Canada continue to be significantly disadvantaged in terms of education, employment and access to basic needs such as water, food security and housing. These disadvantages are compounded for Indigenous peoples with disabilities. In addition, Indigenous peoples continue to face systemic anti-Indigenous racism and the ongoing effects of colonialization. Indigenous women and girls continue to experience systemic discrimination, bear a disproportionate burden of violence and are murdered or go missing at a disproportionately high rate.
Recommendation: That Canada fully implement the measures of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act Action Plan, the Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and the Calls for Justice of the Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. This includes taking a consistent approach to meaningful participation and engagement with Indigenous peoples.
Recommendation: That Canada enact the legislative reforms necessary to eliminate discrimination in the Indian Act without delay.
Recommendation: That Canada support the creation of human rights mechanisms for Indigenous peoples to advance decolonization and self-determination, and help address barriers to access to justice faced by Indigenous peoples within the current human rights system.
Recommendation: That Canada ensure that services for Indigenous people are equitable, adequate and culturally appropriate. Canada should ensure that First Nations, Inuit and Métis people have access to services that are relevant to and appropriate for them, based on their distinct culture and identity, and are empowered to stay in their communities while receiving care.
Recommendation: That Canada implement the recommendations that are within its authority of the Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights to end forced or coerced sterilization and ensure redress, support and justice for survivors.
People Deprived of Their Liberty (Articles 2, 7, 9, 10, 14, 26)
Federal Justice System
In Canada's federal justice system, substantive progress towards addressing the realities of systemic and institutionalized racism and discrimination remains largely elusive. A number of issues require immediate attention, including over-incarceration, conditions of confinement, and the continued use of segregation practices that are tantamount to solitary confinement.
Recommendation: That Canada take necessary steps to reform the criminal justice system – including in policing practices and court proceedings – to address the disproportionate and negative impacts on certain groups including Indigenous, Black and other racialized individuals, and people with mental health disabilities.
Recommendation: That Canada take immediate steps to support effective implementation of the Indigenous Justice Strategy and Black Justice Strategy's Implementation Plan, including by introducing a framework that formally embeds the goals, mechanisms and accountability structures envisioned by these strategies into law.
Recommendation: That Canada ensure that its policies and practices fully respect the rights and meet the unique needs of prisoners in vulnerable circumstances in relation to their conditions of confinement and their reintegration, including access to timely, adequate and culturally appropriate supports and services which can be, when appropriate, in community settings.
Structured Intervention Units (SIUs)
CHRC reports SIUs continue to function as de facto solitary confinement, especially affecting prisoners with mental health disabilities and Indigenous and Black detainees. The CHRC calls for strong independent oversight and legal reform.
Recommendation: That Canada take steps to ensure that the current SIU regime does not continue to create conditions of de facto solitary confinement for prisoners.
Recommendation: That Canada establish an effective independent oversight body to monitor the operation of the SIU regime.
Institutionalization
Many people with disabilities are forced to live in institutions due to ongoing accessibility failures, including a lack of community-based supports and accessible housing options. For example, young people with disabilities in Canada continue to live in long-term care facilities intended for seniors due to a lack of adequate supports to live in the community. In addition to being deprived of their autonomy and their right to live independently in their communities, people who are institutionalized are at greater risk of experiencing violence and being exposed to health risks, such as COVID-19.
Recommendation: That Canada provide adequate community-based supports to ensure that appropriate alternatives to institutionalization are available for people with disabilities so that they can live with dignity and independence in their communities.
Ratifying the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture
To align Canada with international standards on independent oversight of places of deprivation of liberty, the CHRC continues to call on Canada to ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture (OPCAT). The OPCAT could offer a framework for more consistent and proactive human rights protection for people who are detained across all jurisdictions. Despite Canada's commitment to prioritize the ratification of OPCAT during its most recent Universal Periodic Review, the status of this commitment remains unclear.
Recommendation: That Canada sign, ratify and implement the OPCAT without delay, including by designating an appropriate National Preventive Mechanism to ensure ongoing and enhanced independent oversight, monitoring and reporting in all places of detention.
Other key issues:
- Access to election processes
- Pay equity
- Online hate
- Discrimination based on gender identity and expression
- Religious intolerance
- Immigration detention
- Technology and privacy
- Implementation of human rights
Other recommendations:
- That Canada ensure that people with disabilities can fully participate in the democratic process by removing barriers to participation experienced by people with various disabilities.
- That Canada improve national, disaggregated data on the gender wage gap.
- That Canada take further action to combat hate online, by implementing a comprehensive and proactive approach to dealing with the issue.
- That Canada recognize variations of sex characteristics and gender diversity, and ensure that intersex, non-binary, trans and gender diverse people have access to appropriate care and supports that uphold their health, safety, dignity and human rights.
- That Canada take steps to combat religious intolerance and the various ways it continues to materialize, including by engaging with communities who are directly impacted to ensure that legislative enactments do not promote intolerance or have adverse impacts.
- That Canada take steps to revise the immigration detention regime and ensure that it is subject to appropriate independent oversight.
- That Canada develop a comprehensive governance framework to guide the development and deployment of AI and other digital technologies, using a human rights-based approach.
- That Canada work with provincial and territorial governments to develop and adopt a national framework for international human rights implementation.