OTTAWA, Ontario – December 06, 2017   – The Canadian Institute of Planners (CIP) strongly supports Bill C-262, An Act to ensure that the laws of Canada are in harmony with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
 
First introduced in April 2016 by Member of Parliament, Mr. Romeo Saganash (Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou), the private member’s bill requires the Government of Canada to take all measures necessary to ensure that the laws of Canada are in harmony with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). Following the federal debate on December 5, it is expected that the House of Commons will vote on Bill C-262 on its second reading in March 2018, and if passed, it will go a committee for further study.

“Our cities and communities are built on the lands of many of Indigenous Peoples and Nations, including the homelands of the Métis,” says Eleanor Mohammed, President of CIP. “The rights outlined in UNDRIP – such as the right to self-determination and autonomy in local matters – are foundational to a relationship of mutual respect between governments. As UNDRIP celebrates its tenth anniversary, CIP is encouraged to see the federal government taking concrete action to support reconciliation.”
 
Jeff Cook, Chair of CIP’s Indigenous Community Planning Committee (ICPC), commends the government’s advancement of Bill C-262: “This is a significant step towards reconciliation with Indigenous Canada. Implementing UNDRIP into Canadian law will uphold free, prior and informed consent, and respect the rights of Indigenous Peoples to maintain their own decision-making institutions”.
 
Federal support for UNDRIP bolsters ICPC’s current efforts of co-creating an Indigenous policy to define CIP’s principles and guidelines relating to Indigenous planning and strengthening respectful relations. The development of this policy includes collaboration with Indigenous Peoples, communities, and organizations across Canada. ICPC was established in 2003 and continues to support Indigenous collaboration, planning education, and culturally responsible planning practice.


About the Canadian Institute of Planners
The Canadian Institute of Planners (CIP) works on behalf of over 6,700 planning professionals nationally, and has served as the voice of Canada’s planning community since 1919. Planners safeguard the health and well-being of urban and rural communities, by addressing the use of land, resources, facilities, and services with consideration to physical, economic, and social efficiency.  Our members work in both the public service and the private sector, across fields such as land use planning, environmental resource management, land development, heritage conservation, social planning, indigenous communities planning, transportation planning, and economic development. Learn more about CIP and the role of planners at cip-icu.ca.