Reading Time: 8 minutesDisponible en français. On 31 October 2000, following decades of lobbying by civil society organizations, United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security (WPS) was unanimously adopted. It is the first United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) to focus on… Read More ›
United Nations
LGBTQI+ Refugees in Canada
Reading Time: 5 minutesDisponible en français. *The acronym “2SLGBTQI+” is used domestically in Canada to refer to Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex people, and those from sexually and gender-diverse communities. The acronym “LGBTQI+” is used in international contexts and will… Read More ›
The International Framework for Gender Equality
Reading Time: 6 minutesDisponible en français. The year 2025 marks several significant anniversaries for international gender equality mechanisms. These include the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (the Beijing Declaration), the 25th anniversary of United Nations (UN) Security Council… Read More ›
Canadian Women in Diplomacy
Reading Time: 6 minutesDisponible en français. On 20 June 2022, the United Nations (UN) General Assembly adopted resolution 76/269, declaring June 24 of each year the International Day of Women in Diplomacy. The UN resolution recognizes the contributions that women make to diplomacy; it notes… Read More ›
Soil for Life
Reading Time: 7 minutesDisponible en français. There are more living organisms in a tablespoon of soil than there are people on Earth. Dig deeper and you will find that one cubic metre of healthy soil can retain over 250 litres of water. More than… Read More ›
Canada’s Fourth Universal Periodic Review Before the United Nations Human Rights Council
Reading Time: 6 minutesDisponible en français. On 10 November 2023, a delegation from Canada will appear before a working group of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC). The delegation will report on how Canada is meeting its international human rights obligations. This process,… Read More ›
Into the Depths: International Law and Deep Seabed Mining
Reading Time: 5 minutesDisponible en français. The oceans are much deeper than we think. The high seas – defined in international law as the waters beyond all national territorial waters and exclusive economic zones (EEZs) – extend to depths ranging from an average of over… Read More ›
Mental Health Needs of Refugees in Canada
Reading Time: 6 minutesDisponible en français. As a group, refugees are at greater risk than non-refugees of developing anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Although only a small proportion of refugees who settle in developed nations are known to have a mental… Read More ›
Global Methane Pledge: Reducing Methane Emissions in Canada
Reading Time: 5 minutesDisponible en français. In November 2021, Canada joined the Global Methane Pledge launched by the United States and the European Union at COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland. The collective goal of this pledge is to reduce human-caused methane emissions by at least… Read More ›
Executive Summary – The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: An Overview
Reading Time: < 1 minuteDisponible en français. The United Nations (UN) Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (the CRPD) is an international treaty that was adopted in 2006 to help protect the rights of people with disabilities around the world. Canada and 183 other states parties have… Read More ›