Statement on World Day of Social Justice

February 20, 2017 - Ottawa, Ontario - Global Affairs Canada

The Honourable Chrystia Freeland, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of International Development and La Francophonie, today issued the following statement:

“As Canadians, we recognize that we are stronger not in spite of our differences, but because of them. Social justice is about ensuring that everyone—from the poorest, most marginalized in society to the wealthiest—is afforded equal rights and opportunities.

“On World Day of Social Justice, we reaffirm our commitment to social change and to ensuring that the rights and dignity of all human beings—in Canada and around the world—are equal.

“For Canada, this commitment means we must make further progress on human rights and gender equality and promote the rights and protection of children. It means a renewed, nation-to-nation relationship with Indigenous peoples.

“In the face of discrimination, xenophobia and prejudice, social justice also requires that we all promote the strength of diversity at home in our communities and around the world.

“This is why, at the United Nations, Canada co-hosted the first-ever high-level discussion to find ways to combat anti-Muslim discrimination and hatred and also co-hosted the High Level Forum on Global Antisemitism. While more work is required, these forums provided opportunities to discuss the need for effective collective action by governments and civil society to combat xenophobia.”

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