09/10/2026
Black communities across Canada are calling for the proposed United Nations Declaration on the Human Rights of People of African Descent to move beyond symbolic recognition and establish enforceable rights, reparatory justice, and durable accountability mechanisms.
From 17 to 20 February 2026, the Black Canadians Civil Society Coalition (BCCSC), in partnership with Amnesty International Canada, convened consultations in Toronto, Wolfville, N.S., and Ottawa. Participants contributed community-driven recommendations to inform the UN Permanent Forum on People of African Descent’s (UNPFPAD) draft Declaration on the Promotion, Protection and Full Respect of the Human Rights of People of African Descent.
Amnesty International Canada and the BCCSC have compiled the feedback collected at the consultations and prepared a report summarizing their findings. The groups publicly launched the report at a press conference in Ottawa on Thursday, and they have shared their findings with the Canadian officials and the UNPFPAD. The release of the report coincides with the country visit of the UN Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, Dr. Ashwini K.P., to Canada, occurring from 28 September to 9 October.
Download the report: Building toward a Human Rights Recognition Framework
“Black communities have been clear: recognition without enforcement is not enough,” said Ketty Nivyabandi, Secretary General of Amnesty International Canada’s English-speaking section. “The Declaration must confront anti-Black racism as a distinct and structural human rights violation, advance reparatory justice, and create meaningful mechanisms to hold governments and institutions accountable.”
Additionally, the report lays out calls to action to federal leaders and decision-makers in other levels of government. Responding to the feedback collected at the UNPFPAD consultations, Amnesty International Canada and the BCCSC urge Canada to:
Establish an independent Black Equity Commissioner with enforcement authority and protection from political interference
Mandate disaggregated race-based data collection under community-controlled governance frameworks grounded in Black data sovereignty
Recognize collective rights of historic Black communities, including the ancestral land and cultural rights of African Nova Scotians
Invest in Black-led infrastructure through independent institutions, legal-defence capacity, and stable multi-year funding
Regulate artificial intelligence and surveillance technologies to eliminate anti-Black bias, including through independent equity audits and meaningful representation in technology governance
Reform education systems to centre Black Canadian history, identity, and culturally responsive teaching
Address barriers facing Black newcomers in immigration, housing, credential-recognition, and access to culturally appropriate supports
“Black communities in Toronto, Nova Scotia, and Ottawa gave their time and trust to this process, knowing how often consultation has ended without action,” said Lerato Chondoma, a director with the Black Canadians Civil Society Coalition. “They have brought clarity and good faith; the obligation now rests with governments. We call on Canada to show publicly, with timelines and benchmarks, how and when it will act on the recommendations contained in the report.”
Members of the UNPFPAD visited Canada in February to collect feedback that will inform the development of United Nations Declaration on the Respect, Protection and Fulfilment of the Human Rights of People of African Descent. The Declaration will serve as a roadmap for states to use in their efforts to combat racism and racial discrimination; address the ongoing harms of colonialism and the enslavement of people of African descent; and ensure that people of African descent are afforded the full enjoyment of the human rights guaranteed to everyone under international law.
Consultation participants in Canada identified collective rights, reparatory justice, systemic and structural racism, and emerging human rights concerns—including artificial intelligence, surveillance and environmental racism—as urgent priorities. They called for recognition of African Nova Scotians’ collective rights to ancestral lands and cultural self-determination.
Participants also expressed deep fatigue with government commitments that lack timelines, measurable benchmarks or consequences for non-compliance. They called for the UN Declaration to explicitly recognize diversity within Black communities and ensure meaningful leadership by youth and people directly affected by intersecting forms of discrimination.
Additionally, participants stressed that the final Declaration must be binding, specific, enforceable, and co-designed with people of African descent.
On Thursday, Amnesty International Canada and the Black Canadians Civil Society Coalition reiterated their immense gratitude to Elementary Teachers of Toronto, the Black Opportunity Fund, UNIFOR, and the Canadian Labour Congress, whose support was crucial in making the in-person listening sessions a reality.
