The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation, Pedro Arrojo-Agudo, wrapped up his official country visit to Canada today (April 8-19). Country visits are mandated activities carried out by the Special Rapporteur to gain a better understanding of the country-specific context of water and sanitation. They are a chance to hear local, municipal, and national inputs, visit communities, and assess the general human rights situation. The visit to Canada presented an opportunity to put pressure on the government to address ongoing water injustices and take meaningful action for reconciliation. During his time in Canada, Arrojo-Agudo visited Ontario, Nunavut, British Colombia and Alberta. For individuals in other provinces or territories, and for those unable to attend any of the planned consultations, the Special Rapporteur accepted and encouraged written submissions.
On April 8th, the Blue Planet Project worked with the Canadian Union of Public Employees, MiningWatch Canada and the Council of Canadians, to hold a consultation session with the Special Rapporteur in Ottawa hosted by the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies at Carleton University. The session provided an opportunity for the Special Rapporteur to hear inputs from Indigenous communities and organizations, CSOs and NGOs, as well as researchers and academics. Powerful and comprehensive inputs were heard at the consultation addressing and documenting a range of urgent water issues.
The Blue Planet Project has previously addressed how settler colonial states continue to improperly manage water obtained through extraction, dispossession and theft, failing to ensure water for all. Contributions made at Arrojo-Agudo’s consultation in Ottawa described individual and community examples of Canada’s negligence. Contributions highlighted broken treaties, lack of consultation with Indigenous communities, and the outright failure to ensure clean, accessible and safe water for all. Northern, rural and remote communities face disproportionate and compounding crises in the absence of access to clean water. Many Indigenous and First Nations communities have been under boil water advisories or do not consume advisories for decades. Other Indigenous and First Nation’s communities are unable to meet their water needs nor practice their cultural traditions due to water pollution, from uranium, mercury, THCs, fuel and (unsafe levels of) chlorine.
Among the CSOs and NGOs at the consultation, many emphasized the need for consistency between federal, provincial and municipal water provisions and protections. Inputs highlighted the empty and performative contributions that Canada has made at the United Nations, among other international fora, demanding the incorporation of mechanisms to hold Canada to its obligations to provide clean, accessible and safe water for all and protect water resources and territories. Calls were also heard for Canada to provide protections for those impacted by the operations of Canadian corporations abroad, including mining and other extractive activities.
Arrojo-Agudo shared his preliminary findings in the form of a press release and press conference at the Lord Elgin Hotel in Ottawa on April 19th. Arrojo-Agudo stated that “Canada must step up efforts to eliminate discrimination and marginalisation, particularly of its Indigenous Peoples, and fully uphold the human rights to water and sanitation for all its peoples.” He will share his final report, with findings and recommendations, with the Human Rights Council in Geneva this coming September.
For more explore the resources below: