This document constitutes the combined Fifteenth and Sixteenth Report of Canada on the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (hereinafter the Convention). The information in these reports covers the period from June 1997 to May 2001. Any information not falling within that period is indicated in the report. Information provided in previous reports is not repeated in this document, but updates are included where significant change has occurred.
This report contains information on legislation, policies and programmes adopted by the federal, provincial and territorial governments to combat racial discrimination in their respective areas of jurisdiction during the period under review. It updates previous reports under this Convention. These reports may be obtained through the Human Rights Program of Canadian Heritage Web site address at: http://www.pch.gc.ca/pgm/pdp-hrp/index-eng.cfm
In preparing this document, consideration was given to the Concluding Observations issued by the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination after the review of Canada's 11th and 12th reports. The Committee reviewed Canada's 13th/14th report in August 2002 and issued further observations on August 23 of the same year. However, as many jurisdictions had already completed their submissions for the combined 15th/16th report, and as the period under review for this report concludes with May 2001, Canada will consider and respond to the Committee's latter observations in its next report, which will cover the period of June 2001 through May 2004.
Information in the report is divided into four parts. The first part includes general information on the demographic and linguistic characteristics of the Canadian population in order to illustrate Canada's multiethnic, multiracial and multilingual diversity. The second part includes an analysis of case law and national laws that aim to combat racial discrimination in the country. The third part comprises of an examination of measures adopted by the Government of Canada to combat racism in all sectors of society. Finally, the fourth part indicates measures adopted by each province in Canada to combat racial discrimination in their respective jurisdictions.
While the Convention does not specifically refer to indigenous people, this report continues the practice of covering aspects of the situation of the Aboriginal peoples of Canada that are relevant to the Convention. It must be emphasized, however, that Aboriginal peoples are not considered to be an "ethnic group" by either Aboriginal peoples themselves or the federal government. Emphasis is accorded the unique situation of Aboriginal peoples as Canada's original inhabitants and affirms their special relationship with the State, based on unique entitlements.
Descriptions of the Employment Equity Act and associated implementation policies and programmes refer to the term "visible minorities", which is defined as "persons, other than Aboriginal peoples, who are non-Caucasian in race or non-white in colour". Statistics Canada also uses this term in the collection of census data. However, it should be emphasized that in general, policies, programmes and laws implementing measures against racial discrimination are not restricted to those groups covered by the Employment Equity Act definition. For example, as indicated under article 4 of this report, Criminal Code provisions prohibiting hate propaganda use the term "identifiable group", that is, any section of the public distinguished by color, race, religion or ethnic origin.
