United Nations Radio

As the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues winds up its debate, Canada's Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development told journalists his country had taken concrete steps in the areas of human rights, education, clean water and economic development for the country's First Nations peoples.

Asked about Canada's not signing on to last year's Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Chuck Strahl said his country was moving ahead in tangible ways to make the Declaration, which outlines the rights of the world's estimated 370 million indigenous people and outlaws discrimination against them, a reality.

But in Canada, of course, we recognize aboriginal rights and title in our constitution. It's not a side-bar issue to us. It's recognized in the Constitution. It's reflected in our courts. We have treaties with many First Nations that go back and precede confederation in our country.

Canada, for example, was moving ahead with legislation that would extend the country's Human Rights Act to first nations living on reserve, so that aboriginal nations would now have the same protection extended to other Canadian citizens.

Diane Bailey, United Nations Radio.

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