Human Rights | UN-affiliated global body to review Canada’s rating

(Ottawa) The United Nations-affiliated Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions says it is reviewing the Canadian Human Rights Commission (CHRC) for compliance with international principles.

She is deciding whether the CHRC still deserves an “A” rating, which allows it to be included in bodies like the UN Human Rights Council.

The review of accreditation comes after a coalition of human rights organizations filed a complaint alleging discrimination against Black people within the CHRC.

Nicholas Marcus Thompson, director of the Black Class Action Secretariat, says Canada is now on notice.

He says the country cannot claim to be a world leader in human rights while “discriminating against its own citizens.”

A report from the Senate Standing Committee on Human Rights last December detailed a “crisis of confidence” within the CHRC and questioned its ability to handle complaints fairly.