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July 16, 2015
Hon. Madeleine Meilleur
Attorney General of Ontario
11th Flr 720 Bay St
Toronto ON
M7A 2S9
Dear Minister,
Per your Ministry’s request, Please find attached the Ontario Human Rights Commission’s comment for Canada’s upcoming combined 21st and 22nd Reports to the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination due November 2015.
The OHRC’s comment focuses on the disadvantage and discrimination faced by Indigenous peoples and racialized communities in regards to racial profiling and arbitrary police stops, police use of force, police record checks, migrant and foreign trained workers, poverty and inadequate housing, child and family services, and violence against women as well as promoting institutional change particularly in policing and correctional services.
The OHRC has prepared its comment having regard for the Concluding Observations issued by the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination at Canada’s last appearance in February 2012 as well as the OHRC’s own work and priorities. The OHRC has copied this comment to the Committee in keeping with the UN Human Rights Council Resolution A/HRC/RES/27/18 encouraging human rights commissions to provide parallel reports and other information to treaty bodies.
We welcome further opportunity to discuss our comment.
Sincerely,
Ruth Goba
Interim Chief Commissioner
Ontario Human Rights Commission
Copy: UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
Marie-Claude Landry, Ad. E., Chief Commissioner of the Canadian Human Rights Commission