Canada joins Russia, Iraq, UK among those whose human rights commissions are being investigated

A special review of the Canadian Human Rights Commission (CHRC) by its international accreditation agency, the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions, could help address ongoing concerns about racial discrimination in the workplace, say those who requested it.

“This decision is unprecedented,” said Nicholas Marcus Thompson, executive director of the Black Class Action Secretariat, at a press conference in Ottawa earlier this year.

“There is sufficient evidence to place Canada under special review because of findings of systemic anti-Black discrimination at the Canadian Human Rights Commission,” he said.

Other countries whose human rights agencies have been subject to review include Russia, Iraq, the United Kingdom and Venezuela.

Working with a broad coalition of civil society organizations, including the Canadian Association of Public Employees, the Black Class Action Secretariat brought concerns about discrimination against black and racialized employees to the international body in February.

This included 2023 findings from both the Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights, which made 11 recommendations, and the Treasury Board Secretariat.

Both entities concluded that racial discrimination is a systemic issue within the CHRC.

While it’s unlikely that the special review will result in a downgrading of the CHRC, which currently has an A rating, the coalition hopes it will result in reform and draw international attention to the issue.

“The (sub-committee on accreditation) is of the view that third-party submissions and publicly available information raises concerns about the continued compliance of the CHRC with the Paris Principles, including its ability to conduct its mandate in an efficient manner and its perceived credibility in tackling systemic human rights violations,” states the Global Alliance report.

Grievances filed against the CHRC and later substantiated by the Treasury Board describe the workplace as a hostile one where Black and racialized employees are marginalized and denied opportunities for career development and advancement.