Friends of the Lubicon
PO Box 444 Stn D,
Etobicoke ON M9A 4X4
Tel: (416) 763-7500
Email: fol (at) tao (dot) ca
www.lubicon.ca
December 20, 2005
Yesterday Amnesty International Canada released a report called "IT IS TIME TO COMPLY: Canada’s Record of Unimplemented UN Human Rights Recommendations".
As a prime example of Canada’s neglect with regard to United Nations recommendations, the report drew particular attention to Canada’s continuing failure to negotiate a settlement agreement with the Lubicon Lake Indian Nation.
Amnesty International said:
"One of the most glaring failures to implement UN level human rights recommendations is the situation of the Lubicon Cree in Alberta. In 1990, the Human Rights Committee issued a detailed report documenting serious violations of the rights of the Lubicon, stemming from a decades-old failure to enter into an agreement with the Lubicon regarding their land rights. The Committee called on the government to ensure a prompt and just settlement of the dispute. Fifteen years later the dispute remains unresolved, the ability of the Lubicon to provide for themselves remains under threat, and there have been no negotiations between the government and the Lubicon for over two years.
"Fifteen years on, the Human Rights Committee has called on Canada to:
‘… make every effort to resume negotiations with the Lubicon Lake Band, with a view to finding a solution which respects the rights of the Band under the Covenant, as already found by the Committee. It should consult with the Band before granting licenses for economic exploitation of the disputed land, and ensure that in no case such exploitation jeopardizes the rights recognized under the Covenant.’
"It is time, far past time, for a just resolution of the land rights dispute with the Lubicon Cree. Canada must make negotiation of a just settlement a high priority, and ensure that its negotiators are given a clear mandate to reach a settlement that ensures full respect and protection of the rights of the Lubicon Cree under national and international law."
The full report is available here.
fol-request at masses.tao.ca