Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) 2016
The CESCR assessed Canada’s compliance with its obligations under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) in February 2016. This was the sixth review of Canada. Bruce Porter and Leilani Farha coordinated civil society organizations and Indigenous peoples' organizations in preparation for the review. An unprecedented meeting was organized jointly with Heritage Canada, involving more than 40 representatives of civil society and Indigenous organizations, representatives of a wide range of federal government departments and provincial territorial representatives on January 21, 2016.
Joint Compilation/Summary of Key Issues
Bruce Porter of the Social Right Advocacy Centre and Leilani Farha of Canada Without Poverty helped Canadian NGOs organize oral submissions to the Committee, presented on Monday February 22nd; and hosted a luncheon briefing at which 50 representatives made brief presentations to Committee members on key issues for the review. Civil Society and Indigenous organizations did an amazing job of keeping to time limits and made powerful presentations of the issues outlined in the joint Compilation Document. Speial thanks to the Maytree Foundation for providing funding for this important initiative.
Civil Society Submissions
Civil Society and Indigenous submissions are available online on the CESCR website at http://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/treatybodyexternal/SessionDetails1.aspx?SessionID=965&
The Following are submissions from Social Rights CURA partners
Social Right Advocacy Centre and Charter Committee on Poverty Issues
Council of Canadians with Disabilities
The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Right released its Concluding Observations on March 7, 216.
CESCR Concluding Observations on Canada (2016) E/C.12/CAN/CO/6