The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP / the “Declaration”) was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on September 13, 2007. Although Canada had been an active participant in drafting this document over a period of two decades, Canada opted to oppose the adoption in 2007, along with three other UN member nations: Australia, New Zealand, and the United States. Since then both Australia and New Zealand have reversed their position on the Declaration. In March 2010, after more than two years of Indigenous advocacy, in its Speech from the Throne, Canada also expressed its intention to take steps to endorse the Declaration. Finally, on November 12, 2010, Canada announced that it had advised the President of the United Nations General Assembly that it was endorsing the UNDRIP.
Based on the position that the treaties within NAN are international in nature, the NAN Chiefs-in-Assembly have adopted a number of resolutions related to participation in international bodies.
NAN has been at the international level since its formation. In the 1980’s a delegation was sent to Britain to meet with the Queen during the constitutional talks concerning the repatriation of Canada. Also in 1980, NAN presented to the Fourth Russell Tribunal on the Rights of the Indians of the Americas (“Tribunal”). It was one of two cases presented from Canada. At that time, NAN charged that the governments of Canada and Ontario have been committing acts of systemic economic, social, political and cultural genocide. The Tribunal ruled that the actions of Canada and Ontario were in violation of international law. Today, NAN continues to raise its issues in international forums such as the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues and the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, amongst other international forums.
In December 2010, the NAN Chiefs-in-Assembly passed Resolution No. 10/65 providing the mandate for NAN to proceed with measures to ensure the standards set out in the UNDRIP are effectively implemented within the laws and policies in Canada and Ontario regarding treaties, self-government and full range of issues affecting First Nations in NAN. NAN will be developing an education campaign to ensure that information on the Declaration is available at the First Nation level.
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