GENERAL

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1    Appoint a Canada-wide independent Black equity commissioner with a mandate to consider the production of discrimination against Black persons and its impacts, taking into account the distinct forms of discrimination, particularly in provinces that refuse to recognize the existence of systemic racism against these groups.

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2   Recognize the Black populations in Canada, despite their specific histories, as a distinct group, particularly given continued impacts of systemic racism on these populations.

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3   Document the specific reality of Afro-descendant people in the areas of health, immigration and policing (arrest and detention) in order to analyze the actual state of systemic racism in Canada. 

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4  Fund research on the issues raised in this report and dissemination of this research. 

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HEALTH

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5   Ensure plural representation of Black groups and communities in the development of national and provincial health policies and guidelines rooted in an anti-Black racism perspective. 

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6   Support medical schools in establishing programs, processes and policies to help address racism against Afro-descendant people in the admissions process and in medical education. 

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7   Implement anti-racism and anti-oppression training for healthcare providers.

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8   Conduct a national consultation on the issue of forced and coerced sterilization of women in Canada with the goal of ending this practice. This consultation should take into account the evidence gathered during the preliminary study on the subject conducted by the Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights and hear survivors and groups particularly affected by this practice while showing sensitivity towards them.

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9   Implement all the recommendations of the Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights report entitled Forced and Coerced Sterilization of Persons in Canada.

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10  Adopt legislative measures and policies to prevent and criminalize coerced sterilization of women, in particular by clearly defining the obligation to obtain free, prior and informed consent and by increasing awareness of this obligation among women and medical personnel.

 

11  Ensure that all allegations of coerced sterilization are impartially investigated, that those responsible are held accountable and that adequate redress is provided to the victims.

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12  Recognize the systemic and anti-Black racism that affects interventions with families and children in child welfare, and put in place policies and processes to address this racism, in consultation and collaboration with Black communities.  

 

13  Establish, in collaboration with Black communities, a commissioner for children’s rights and welfare, with a mandate to pay particular attention to the rights and needs of Black children and their families. 

 

14  Implement a mandatory training program on cultural safety and anti-Black racism that takes into account the needs of Black communities for all those working with families and children in the field of child protection.

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IMMIGRATION

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15 Ratify the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families.  

 

16  Abolish the Canada-US Safe Third Country Agreement. Failing abolition, waive the Additional Protocol to the Safe Third Country Agreement, which came into force on March 25, 2023, in order to reopen a safe passage route for migrants.

 

17  End immigration detention, including solitary confinement, which is perpetrated largely against Afro-descendants.  

 

18  Ensure that migrants are not detained in the same facilities (prisons, police stations) as criminal offenders.

 

19  Establish an independent national enquiry into the detention of migrants with a particular focus on issues of systemic racism and discrimination.  

 

20  Develop a national strategy to end the discriminatory treatment of Black persons in detention in prisons and immigration detention centres.

 

21  Create an investigation and redress mechanism to receive and address complaints from detained migrants who are victims of abuse, discrimination and violation of their human rights by the CBSA. This mechanism should also allow other civil society actors to report such cases.

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POLICE AND PRISON ARRESTS

 

22  Implement all recommendations from the Office of the Correctional Investigator’s 2021–2022 Annual Report in relation to Black prisoners.  

 

23  Sign and ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment to allow international inspection of all places of detention.      

 

24  Prohibit random police checks. 

 

25  Waive the appeal against the Luamba decision of the Superior Court of Quebec and implement the Court’s orders.

 

26  Abolish Article 636 of the Quebec Highway Safety Code. 

 

27  Legislate to abolish, for all of Canada, the common law rule allowing random roadside checks.

 

28  Establish independent monitoring bodies and stiffer penalties for racist behaviour by police.

 

29 Develop, in collaboration with community partners representing the plurality and diversity of Black communities, a national strategy to combat discrimination against Black people in detention that takes into account their experiences in prison settings and their particular needs.

 

30  Ensure equal access to diversion programs for Black persons.

 

31  Ensure that decisions on the release of Black persons from detention are free from anti-Black racism.