A Canadian First Nation has expressed frustration with the United Nations after failed attempts to engage the global body over a Canada-China free trade pact that they say contravenes indigenous rights guaranteed under the constitution. The Hupacasath say the pact will essentially override indigenous Canadians’ right to resources on their lands, and the ability to govern ecosystems on their territory. But despite attempts by the First Nation to get the U.N. to intervene in the matter, the global body has remained silent. Moreover, the U.N. failed to include the dispute in the agenda of its first indigenous people’s conference, which took place this week in New York. The administration of Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper ratified the document, which is due to come into force on Oct. 1, on Sept. 12 Brenda Sayers, the Hupacasath member spearheading the campaign against the FIPA, said Harper pushed the agreement through late on a Friday as government offices were closing down specifically to prevent the Hupacasath from filing an injunction against the treaty. Harper’s staff did not respond to interview requests at time of publication. “Now that it’s ratified, it will take a while to see how this agreement will unfold and how it will negatively impact Canada,” Sayers said. westcoastnativenews/first-nation-frustrated-with-un-inaction-over-canada-china-trade-pact/
Posted on: Thu, 25 Sep 2014 20:25:01 +0000
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