Next Steps

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The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act became law and came into force on June 21, 2021.

As the next step, the Government of Canada will work in consultation and cooperation with First Nations, Inuit and the Métis Nation to:

• Take all measures necessary to ensure the consistency of federal laws with the Declaration
• Develop an action plan to achieve the objectives of the Declaration
• Develop  annual reports on progress and submit them to Parliament

The Act requires that the action plan be developed as soon as possible and no later than two years after the coming into force of the Act, which means it needs to be completed by June 2023.

Moving forward together

As a first step, the Government of Canada will be working closely with First Nations, Inuit and the Métis Nation to better understand their priorities to help shape the initial draft of an action plan and begin to identify potential measures for aligning federal laws with the Declaration. This important dialogue will continue over the winter and spring of 2022.

This first phase will focus on engagement with Indigenous partners, including:

• First Nations, Inuit and Métis rights holders, including modern treaty signatories, self-governing nations and historic treaty partners, as well as with national and regional Indigenous representative organizations
• Indigenous women, Elders, youth, persons with disabilities, 2SLGBTQQIA+ people, urban Indigenous people and other Indigenous organizations and groups

This is only the first step toward the development of an action plan with Indigenous partners. There will be a further process for Indigenous peoples and the Government of Canada to work in cooperation on measures to implement the Declaration, informed by the priorities identified in the initial draft of the action plan.

How to participate

There will be a variety of ways to participate in this process. This will include opportunities for Indigenous peoples to participate in Indigenous-led consultations sessions and share views and input through virtual consultation and engagement sessions and by email, mail or online. In addition, the Government of Canada will be holding multiple virtual sessions to learn more about Indigenous priorities for the action plan and measures to ensure the consistency of federal laws with the Declaration.

Potential topics for discussion

We welcome all views and perspectives on key priorities for the action plan, and measures to ensure the consistency of federal laws with the Declaration and annual reporting on progress.

The Act requires the action plan to include measures:

• to address injustices, combat prejudice and eliminate all forms of violence, racism and discrimination against Indigenous peoples, including elders, youth, children, persons with disabilities, women, men and gender-diverse and two-spirit persons
• to promote mutual respect and understanding, as well as good relations, including through human rights education
• related to the monitoring, oversight, follow up, recourse or remedy or other accountability with respect to the implementation of the Declaration
• for monitoring the implementation of the plan itself and for reviewing and amending the plan

The action plan can also include other measures to achieve the objectives of the Declaration related to:

• Self-determination and self-government
• Land, territories and resources
• Education
• Economic development
• Social, cultural and linguistic rights
• Free, prior and informed consent
• Consultation and Accommodation

This collaborative work will complement other initiatives underway across Canada with Indigenous partners to close socio-economic gaps, advance reconciliation and renew relationships based on the affirmation of rights, respect, co-operation and partnership.

Submit your feedback

The Act specifically outlines key areas that the Government of Canada must consult on with Indigenous peoples in order to meet the requirements of the Act. Here is a series of questions designed to help guide discussions related to each of the legal obligations contained in the Act.

Submit your feedback via email or mail now. An online submissions portal will be available soon.

Email

Declaration@Justice.gc.ca

Mailing address

UN Declaration Act Implementation Secretariat
Department of Justice Canada
275 Sparks Street
Ottawa, Ontario
Canada K1A 0H8

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