Watch Live: CityNews Tonight Vancouver

Wilson-Raybould says government will back bill on UN Declaration

OTTAWA – Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould says the Liberal government will back a New Democrat MP’s bill on the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples at the direction of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Wilson-Raybould, who made the announcement late Monday at an event marking the anniversary of the declaration, says the bill acknowledges the application of the declaration in Canada.

She also says the legislation, put forward by northern Quebec MP Romeo Saganash, calls for the alignment of all Canadian laws with the declaration.

Saganash, a residential school survivor, tabled the bill in 2016 and has long advocated for the government’s support.

The MP contributed to two decades of work as part of an international effort to craft the declaration and also brought forward similar legislation in a previous Parliament.

Wilson-Raybould says the bill will not accomplish the full implementation of the UN declaration, which she said will require additional measures, including the development of a framework to ensure rights are recognized.

Top Stories

Top Stories

Most Watched Today