Canadian human rights groups call for national security reform

(Ottawa – March 10, 2016) In two separate letters sent yesterday to federal Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale, a coalition of Canadian human rights organizations including the National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM), laid out recommendations with respect to national security reform in Canada.

The first letter proposes seven principles to guide the government’s approach to anticipated upcoming consultations with respect to national security reforms, which the organizations stress must go beyond Bill C-51.

The first letter reads, in part, “The Canadian Muslim community at-large has been harmed by a hostile social and political climate, produced to some measure by poor public policy and messaging around human rights and national security issues.”

Seven principles letter (English)
Seven principles letter (French)

A second letter outlines a framework to establish long overdue parliamentary oversight of national security agencies to be accompanied by the establishment of comprehensive, expert institutional review of those same agencies.

“We are pleased at how expeditiously you have pursued inquiries into various models of parliamentary committee oversight. However, it is our united view, from civil society organizations with experience in national security accountability, that a parliamentary committee alone will be entirely inadequate in addressing the accountability deficit that was exposed during the Arar Inquiry and has persisted ever since,” reads the letter.

Framework letter (English)
Framework letter (French)

Seven principles endorsees *
• Amnesty International Canada (English branch)
• Amnistie internationale Canada francophone
• British Columbia Civil Liberties Association
• Canadian Civil Liberties Association
• International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group
• La Ligue des droits et libertés
• National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM)

Framework endorsees **
• Amnesty International Canada (English branch)
• Amnistie internationale Canada francophone
• British Columbia Civil Liberties Association
• British Columbia Freedom of Information and Privacy Association
• Canadian Civil Liberties Association
• Canadian Association of University Teachers
• Canadian Council of Refugees
• Canadian Muslim Lawyers Association
• International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group
• Lawyers Rights Watch Canada
• Ligue des droits et libertés
• National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM)
• OpenMedia

The NCCM is an independent, non-partisan, and non-profit grassroots organization. It is a leading voice for Muslim civic engagement and the promotion of human rights.

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