Canada Under Review

I know I have spent a lot of time talking about the oddities that I have encountered during my short time in Accra. And I’ll tell ya right now, you can expect further stories on that front because finding the irony in life is sometimes all that keeps things amusing in an otherwise tragic and woefully violent world. But just to make sure that I keep this blog balanced, I thought I’d take an off-topic moment to share with you a report that I really enjoyed skimming.

Canada recently underwent its Universal Period Review (April 2013). This review is a chance for other countries to critique Canada on how it is doing with regard to International Human Rights and International Justice. All of the UN member states undergo this review every so often. Canada’s last one was in 2008 I believe. Eighty-two other countries have commented on Canada and it is really quite interesting to see how the rest of the world views the state of affairs in the homeland. And its also interesting to take note of some of the areas where Canada is often pointing the finger at other countries. For instance:

There were 162 recommendations relating to Human Rights issues in Canada. Some were general (“Continue to effectively address domestic violence, ensuring to victims operational access to means of protection and reinforcing prosecution of perpetrators” – Cyprus). But some were more pointed:

1. Canada hasn’t ratified certain international human rights documents, notably the Optional Protocol on the Convention Against Torture – OP-CAT (which gives an extra complaint mechanism to victims of Torture in Canada who go through the Canadian Court system unsuccessfully), the Optional Protocol for the Convention on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (another extra complain mechanism, for ESC Rights), and other treaties like the Convention Against Enforced Disappearances and the Convention on the Rights of Migrant Workers. Especially with the OP-CAT, the UK noted that Canada should establish a National Preventative Mechanism to set a precedent for other countries. Interesting, given Canada’s immigration policies and the ongoing ‘war on terror’.
2. Many countries think Canada should criminalize racialized violence (including, interestingly enough, Iran).
3. There are several calls for protection for economic, social, and cultural rights, particularly with addressing the disparity faced by Canadian Aboriginal and minority communities. Germany said “abolish all discriminatory implications of the Indian Act and grant women and men the same rights with regard to their Aboriginal status”.
4. Several countries (for instance, Iceland) are calling on Canada to prohibit the use of corporal punishment for children, and to increase Canada’s implementation of the Convention of the Rights of the Child. Others noted that Canada’s laws against the sexual exploitation of children is lacking.
5. There were considerable calls for national policies on poverty, affordable housing, employment, access to water, and food security. These were often linked to issues of disadvantaged groups, particularly the aboriginal communities.

I know some of you (especially you government folk) may already have read this ages ago. But for those of you who to whom it is new and if you are interested, you can read more of the report here:

http://www.upr-info.org/IMG/pdf/a_hrc_wg.6_16_l.9_canada.pdf

Interesting, eh?