On June 16, Canada's Senate voted to pass Bill C-15,
the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous
Peoples Act (the UNDRIP Act or the Act), into law. The
UNDRIP Act received Royal Assent on June 21, marking a historic
milestone in Canada's implementation of the United Nations
Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP or the
Declaration).
The UNDRIP Act is Canada's first substantive step towards
ensuring federal laws reflect the standards set out in UNDRIP.
Accordingly, the Act has several potentially significant
implications for Indigenous groups, government authorities and
resource project proponents, particularly in relation to
UNDRIP's provisions requiring states to obtain “free,
prior and informed consent” (FPIC) in their consultations
with Indigenous peoples.
