Canada Tibet Committee calls for Enhanced Human Rights Collaboration Between Canada and the United States
Ottawa, March 12, 2024: In a new report issued today, the Canada Tibet Committee has called for increased collaboration between Canada and the United States in order to enhance the promotion of human rights in Tibet.
The report, entitled Advancing Canada-US Human Rights Collaboration for Tibet, marks the first visit to Ottawa of Ms. Uzra Zeya, the US Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues. Ms. Zeya will be speaking on Tuesday, March 12 at an event co-organized by the Canada Tibet Committee, the University of Ottawa, and the US Embassy Ottawa. The event will address “China’s Assimilationist Policies Targeting Tibetan Language, Culture and Religion”. (2)
“The US and Canada share many common interests, including the promotion and protection of human rights around the world” said Sherap Therchin, Executive Director of the Canada Tibet Committee. “A joint strategy to enhance the effectiveness of those efforts in Tibet will build momentum for change”.
The report includes a number of recommendations for the Government of Canada, including a call for government-driven legislation to increase the effectiveness of Canada’s Tibet policy. The legislation will encourage a resolution of the Sino-Tibet conflict, create a fund to support Tibetan refugees in India or Nepal, and appoint a senior bureaucrat within Global Affairs Canada (GAC) with responsibility for Tibetan issues. In addition the report calls for human rights due diligence by Canadian companies seeking to invest in, or trade with, Tibet.
The report also calls upon both Canada and the United States to host a follow-up event in 1 year to assess progress on commitments made.
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- The event takes place at the University of Ottawa on March 12 from 2:30 – 4:00: https://www.cepi-cips.ca/event/evaluation-des-politiques-dassimilation-de-la-rpc-au-tibet/
- Advancing Canada-US Human Rights Collaboration for Tibet can be downloaded at: https://canadatibet.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Canada-US-Cooperation-on-Tibet.pdf