2015-2024: International Decade for People of African Descent

The themes are Recognition, Justice, and Development with the overall goal to promote and protect human rights. A UN Working Group at the invitation of the Canadian gov’t, visited Canada in 2016.

They met with federal and provincial government agencies including Global Affairs, Statistics Canada, Immigration, Public Safety, RCMP, National Defence, Correctional Services, and the Canadian Human Rights Commission as well as non-governmental organizations and academics.

Their report was published on August 16, 2017 and includes an Historical Overview of Canada, Demographics and 41 recommendationsThe report concluded: 
Despite Canada’s reputation for promoting multiculturalism and diversity and the positive measures taken by the national and provincial governments, the Working Group is deeply concerned about the structural racism that lies at the core of many Canadian institutions and the systemic anti-Black racism that continues to have a negative impact on the human rights situation of African-Canadians.”