Human rights treaties
In addition to supporting the principles outlined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Canada has ratified seven UN human rights treaties and must submit reports on how it implements each of these treaties.
On this page:
- Principal United Nations human rights conventions and covenants
- Multilateral human rights treaties to which Canada is a party
Principal United Nations human rights conventions and covenants
- International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (accession by Canada in 1970)
- International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (accession by Canada in 1976)
- International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ratified by Canada in 1976)
- Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (ratified by Canada in 1981)
- Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (ratified by Canada in 1987)
- Convention on the Rights of the Child (ratified by Canada in 1991)
- Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (ratified by Canada in 2010)
Learn more on Canada’s performance and reporting to the United Nations.
Multilateral human rights treaties to which Canada is a party
While Canada has ratified the seven principal UN human rights conventions and covenants, it is also a party to a number of multilateral human rights treaties.
The following list includes only those treaties, covenants, conventions and protocols that are subject to accession or ratification by states. It does not deal with other types of documents, such as declarations and recommendations.
United Nations treaties
- Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (ratified by Canada in 1952)
- Convention relating to the Status of Refugees (accession by Canada in 1969)
- Convention on the Political Rights of Women (accession by Canada in 1957)
- Slavery Convention signed at Geneva on 25 September 1926 and amended by the Protocol of 7 December 1953 (ratified by Canada in 1928)
- Supplementary Convention on the Abolition of Slavery, the Slave Trade, and Institutions and Practices Similar to Slavery (ratified by Canada in 1963)
- Convention on the Nationality of Married Women (ratified by Canada in 1959)
- Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness (accession by Canada in 1978)
- Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
- Protocol relating to the Status of Refugees (accession by Canada in 1969)
- Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflicts (ratification by Canada in 2000)
- United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (accession by Canada in 2002)
- Protocol to prevent, suppress and punish trafficking in persons, especially women and children, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (ratification or accession by Canada in 2002)
- Protocol against the smuggling of migrants by land, sea and air, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (ratification or accession by Canada in 2002)
- Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (accession by Canada in 2002)
- Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Sale of Children, Child Pornography and Child Prostitution (ratification by Canada in 2005)
- Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (accession by Canada in 2018)
International Labour Organization treaties
- Convention No. 87 concerning Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organize (ratified by Canada in 1972)
- Convention No. 100 concerning Equal Remuneration for Men and Women Workers for Work of Equal Value (ratified by Canada in 1972)
- Convention No. 105 concerning the Abolition of Forced Labour (ratified by Canada in 1959)
- Convention No. 111 concerning Discrimination in respect of Employment and Occupation (ratified by Canada in 1964)
- Convention No. 122 concerning Employment Policy (ratified by Canada in 1966)
- Convention No. 182 concerning Worst Forms of Child Labour (ratified by Canada in 2000)
Organization of American States treaties
- Convention on the Nationality of Women (accession by Canada in 1991)
- Inter-American Convention on the Granting of Political Rights to Women (ratified by Canada in 1991)
- Inter-American Convention on the Granting of Civil Rights to Women (ratified by Canada in 1991)
Humanitarian law
- Geneva Convention for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded and Sick in Armed Forces in the Field, of August 12, 1949 (ratified by Canada in 1965)
- Geneva Convention for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded, Sick and Shipwrecked Members of Armed Forces at Sea, of August 12, 1949 (ratified by Canada in 1965)
- Geneva Convention relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War, of August 12, 1949 (ratified by Canada in 1965)
- Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, of August 12, 1949 (ratified by Canada in 1965)
- Protocol Additional to the Geneva Conventions of August 12, 1949, and Relating to the Protection of Victims of International Armed Conflicts (Protocol I) (ratified by Canada in 1990)
- Protocol Additional to the Geneva Conventions of August 12, 1949, and Relating to the Protection of Victims of Non-International Armed Conflicts (Protocol II) (ratified by Canada in 1990)
- Protocol Additional to the Geneva Conventions of August 12, 1949, and Relating to the Adoption of an Additional Distinctive Emblem (Protocol III) (ratified by Canada in 2007)
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