By Canadian Press

Feds’ draft plan to enshrine UN’s Indigenous rights declaration ‘not perfect’ Lametti

Apr 5, 2023 | 10:11 AM

OTTAWA — Justice Minister David Lametti says he knows the government’s draft action plan for implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples is not perfect. 

Lametti made the comments while addressing a special gathering of chiefs with the Assembly of First Nations today, telling them he knows there is “a lot missing” from the plan published last month, but it is designed to kick off “intense” discussions over the next three months.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government must present an action plan in Parliament by June to comply with legislation the Liberals passed in 2021. 

That legislation sought to ensure that the UN declaration, which affirms the rights of Indigenous Peoples to self-determination and to their language, culture and traditional lands, is reflected in Canadian law. 

Lametti says that finalizing an action plan is just the next step towards making that happen, but the process to get it right could extend beyond his own lifetime.

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Sara Mainville, a lawyer working with the assembly on the issue, told chiefs the day before that “there is too much noncommittal language” in the draft plan and voiced concerns that it appears to stick with the status quo. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 5, 2023.

The Canadian Press