UNDRIP In British Columbia: Introduction Of Bill 41

On October 24, 2019, the British Columbia (BC) government introduced Bill 41, Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, in the BC legislature.¹ Bill 41, which was co-developed with the First Nations Leadership Council and other Indigenous organizations, fulfills the BC government's commitment to fully implement the Universal Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) into BC legislation.²

The BC government has stated that Bill 41 "is a critical step towards true and lasting reconciliation."³ While this underlying objective is laudable, Bill 41's attempt to import an international "declaration" directly into Canadian law will create new challenges in the BC government's efforts to further reconciliation.