Pedro Arrojo-Agudo, United Nations special rapporteur on the right to drinking water and sanitation, speaks to CBC News in Ottawa on April 19, 2024.
A United Nations independent expert is urging “profound changes” in Canada to ensure Indigenous peoples’ right to safe drinking water is upheld. The official’s report puts a welcome international spotlight on long-standing domestic issues, First Nations rights advocates say.Pedro Arrojo-Agudo, United Nations special rapporteur on the right to drinking water and sanitation, speaks to CBC News in Ottawa on April 19, 2024 after delivering his preliminary report.
"Yet at the same time, we are being told to limit our use of the water in our homes, have a vent in your washroom, open the window, don't rinse your food, don't take long showers, don't use the water on your babies." Arrojo-Agudo is urging "profound changes" in Canada to ensure Indigenous peoples' right to safe drinking water is upheld, particularly in the way the federal government provides infrastructure and funding to First Nations.Canada has no legal obligation to provide First Nations with clean water, lawyers say
"Although legislative advances have been made, significant barriers exist to realizing the human rights of Indigenous Peoples to water and sanitation," he writes.Chief Troy Knowlton, of Piikani Nation in southern Alberta, said this report puts a welcome international spotlight on long-standing domestic issues.
Troy Knowlton, chief of Piikani Nation in southern Alberta, speaks at an Assembly of First Nations meeting in Calgary on October 2024. Knowlton sits on a chiefs committee that advocates for First Nations water needs in the province. Hajdu announced this week that the government successfully tabled an amendment to the bill that "recognizes the right to clean and safe drinking water on First Nations lands," addressing a top concern from First Nations leaders.
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