Anti-terror bill not in keeping with Canada’s global obligations

The report follows hearings in Geneva earlier this month where the committee heard from a number of high-profile civil rights groups as well as the Canadian government.

More than 26 human rights organizations, including Canada Without Poverty, the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, Amnesty global Canada and Human Rights Watch, submitted statements and supporting documents to the 18-member United Nations Human Rights Committee for review under the worldwide Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which met from June 29 through July 24.

The new security legislation is among several security related concerns in the committee’s report, which also flags the “excessive use of force by law enforcement officers during mass arrests in the context of protests at federal and provincial levels, with particular reference to indigenous land-related protests, G20 protests in 2010 as well as student protests in Quebec in 2012”.

On the subject of the anti-terror bill, the government delegation had said it was committed to protecting people’s rights while combating terrorism.

A spokesman for Public Safety Minister Stephen Blaney said Canada stands by the legislation.

“These are reasonable measures similar to those used by our close allies to protect their own citizens”, Jeremy Laurin said. It handed down more than a dozen recommendations, including that a national inquiry be conducted into the matter of missing and murdered indigenous women.

During the review, the Canadian government took the position that the covenant only applies to Canadians in Canada, not those working overseas. On Thursday, the CBC reported that officials at the Department of Foreign Affairs were given a quota of three terrorism-related statements a week to generate for minister Rob Nicholson.

The report also details concerns about the pay gap between men and women, violence against women, prison conditions, the detention of immigrants and the ongoing investigation by the Canada Revenue Agency of the political activities of charities.

The report also urges Canada to get a grip on Canadian companies operating overseas – especially mining companies – and introduce an “effective, independent mechanism” to investigate human rights abuses by those companies.

“We are, overall, quite pleased that the committee recognized that indefinite detention and the lack of alternatives are serious problems with the system in Canada”, Mandhane said in an interview.

It asks for a response from Canada five years from now on what improvements and implementations have been made as a result of its recommendations.

The report took exception to Canada’s refusal to take the necessary steps to address the committee’s recommendations from 10 years prior. “The report is yet another call to action for Canada to work with First Nations as partners to realize our human rights, including our Aboriginal and Treaty rights”.