| ID | 160804 |
| Title Proper | Canada, human rights, and the future of the liberal international order |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Thompson, Andrew S |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | Human rights—specifically international human rights law—have been central to the success of the liberal international order. But since the founding of the United Nations (UN), Canada has had a complicated relationship with international human rights law. This article provides a survey of sixty years of Canadian human rights diplomacy at the UN Commission on Human Rights, from its establishment in 1946 to its dissolution in 2006. During this period, there were moments when Canada did champion new international law, and did so courageously. Yet there were others, such as during negotiations to recognize and codify the rights of Indigenous peoples, when it stood in the way of progress. But the international order that has served Canada so well since the end of the Second World War is under threat, due to a combination of shifts in the global balance of power, and critical challenges such as climate change. If it is to survive into the twenty-first century, advanced democracies such as Canada will need to lead in the development and enforcement of international human rights law, a role that governments in Ottawa have at various times been reluctant to play. |
| `In' analytical Note | International Journal Vol. 73, No.2; Jun 2018: p.299-307 |
| Journal Source | International Journal Vol: 73 No 2 |
| Key Words | Human Rights ; Indigenous Peoples ; Human Rights Council ; Canadian Diplomacy ; International Law ; United Nations ; Mass Atrocity Crimes ; Commission On Human Rights ; Women’s Human Rights |