At the time Saganash said he was “devastated.”
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| Former MP Romeo Saganash |
He will undoubtedly be encouraged that Bill 41 was recently introduced in the British Columbia Legislature. This bill has the same intent as Saganash’s one.
Specifically, Bill 41 requires the B.C. government to take all measures necessary to ensure the laws of British Columbia are consistent with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).
It will also ensure that an action plan be prepared and implemented to achieve the objectives of the Declaration.
In the Explanatory Note to the bill it is noted that “the minister must report annually on the progress that has been made towards implementing the necessary measures and achieving the goals in the action plan.”
The Bill also provides for agreements to be entered into with Indigenous governing bodies. That includes agreements relating to the exercise of a statutory power of decision.
Toronto Star Columnist Tanya Talaga does a good job of showing how important this legislation is for B.C and the country as a whole at https://torontostar.pressreader.com/toronto-star/20191029
The full text of the Bill can be found at https://www.leg.bc.ca/parliamentary-business/legislation-debates-proceedings/41st-parliament/4th-session/bills/first-reading/gov41-1
The Bill should pass, Ms. Talaga notes, as it was introduced by the government and the Green Party, which holds the balance of power, supported the idea in the 2017 election.
Calls to Action
Saganash, who, following two terms with the NDP did not run running for re-election in this fall’s election. Saganash was one of the original architects of the Declaration. He spent 23 years helping to draft it before it was adopted in 2007 by the UN General Assembly.
While Conservative Party Senators and MPs expressed fears of economic and legal consequences if Canada were to align its laws with UNDRIP, the Liberals apparently promised during the recent election campaign to legislate UNDRIP if re-elected in the fall.
The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples is a global human rights instrument which sets out minimum standards for the survival, dignity and well-being of Indigenous peoples around the world.
In its 2015 report, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada called upon the federal, provincial, territorial, and municipal governments to fully adopt and implement the UNDRIP as the framework for reconciliation.
That’s written in Call to Action #43. Call to Action #44 asks for the Government of Canada to develop a national action plan, strategies, and other concrete measures to achieve the goals of the Declaration.
