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Canada Joins the United Nations
Canada joined the United Nations on June 26, 1945. The United Nations was a group of 50 countries who were working for peace, human rights and overall improvement in how people were living.
This is tied to the protection of human rights because it showed that not only Canada, but other countries were working together to benefit and protect humans. -
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Canada played a central role in the drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights from early 1947 to late 1948. This shows that we are working for human rights and that we are willing to take the time to fight for the protection and improvement of our citizen's lives. We want everyone to have the same rights. -
Canadian International Development Agency
In 1968, Canadian Pierre Trudeau created the International Development Agency to support international cooperation. The purpose was to strive for human rights, equality, good governing and to provide good lives for all Canadians. -
Convention for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
Canada ratified the Convention for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination on October 14th, 1970. It was basically a statement that no one would be discriminated due to their race and that everyone would have equal treatment. This is protecting the rights of those who are not of the mass race in Canada. -
Canadian Human Rights Act
The Canadian Human Rights Act was an act passed in 1977. It stopped discrimination because of race, religion, martial status etc. It was a step forward in protecting the rights of humans. -
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women
Canada ratified the CEDAW on December 10th, 1981. However, it was signed the previous year on July 17th. It basically signified that women were to be treated as equals and their rights should be protected. In many other countries women were still being treated as objects or lower class instead of equality. -
Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms was put into action on April 17th, 1982 by Queen Elizabeth. It was a charter of rights and freedoms that basically stated that everyone was to be treated equally. It guaranteed fundamental freedoms and basic equality for everyone. -
Convention on the Rights of a Child
Canada signed the Convention on the Rights of a Child on May 28th, 1990. It was then ratified on December 13th, 1991. This shows that Canada is not only looking for the protection of adults, but they are specializing in the protection of the rights of children. -
Human Rights Conference in Vienna, Austria
Canada attended a human rights conference with the United Nations in Vienna, Austria from June 14th-19th in 1993. It was the first human rights conference since the cold war. It spoke of how to protect human rights, what they should be, and how they should be enacted. -
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
Canada ratified the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilties on March 11, 2010. They first signed the convention in 2007. The ratification is showing that Canada is a world leader in the human rights front. We are no longer seeing people with disabilities as objects of charity; we see them as equal citizens of Canada. This is a big step in the protection of human rights because all citizens, no matter if they are disabled should have the same treatment as everyone else.
