Canada criticized for UN rights concerns

This comes as UN Human Rights Council is conducting its Universal Periodic Review in which there have been calls for a national inspection into the disappearances, murder and sexual abuse of Aboriginal women.

Several member states including Iran, Cuba, New Zealand and Norway have all voiced concerns about the country’s human rights violations especially against the Aboriginals.

The Harper government received a total of 162 recommendations in the review on how to improve its country’s human rights record of which Canada dismissed a number of suggestions.

Critics say whenever the Harper government comes under criticism at the UN, they try to deflect attention from it by focusing on the alleged human rights records of the states making the condemnations.

In addition, critics say the international community should also scrutinize the controversial tar sands oil developments in Canada, as they have devastating impacts on the Aboriginal peoples and their lands.

The Harper government has repeatedly suggested that there is no need for the country’s Aboriginals to turn to supranational human rights organizations because the Canadian legal system can adequately address their concerns.

Meanwhile, this is not the first time Canada has received similar calls from the UN Human Rights Council. In 2009, it was also criticized for its treatment of the Aboriginal people.

Furthermore, Human Rights Watch presented in February a critical report alleging police abuse of Aboriginal women in the western province of British Columbia.

The rights organization also urged the Harper government together with the provincial government to form a national commission of inquiry, a measure that was endorsed by the National Democratic Party, the Green party and the Assembly of First Nations.