	The B’nai Brith Canada Institute for International Affairs has a mandate to protest the abuse of human rights throughout the world and advocate on behalf of worldwide Jewish communities in distress. The Institute has a special focus on pro-Israel advocacy and education.
Rochelle Wilner President	Frank Dimant Chief Executive Officer	Amos Sochaczevski National Chair	Ruth Klein National Director

SUBMISSION TO THE DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
AND INTERNATIONAL TRADE

in preparation for the 56^th session of the
United Nations Commission on Human Rights

5. DISCRIMINATION IN CANADA

It is indeed ironic that discriminatory practices within Canada, a leader in the human rights’ community, will be under scrutiny at the upcoming session of the United Nations. This relates to the inequitable policies of the province of Ontario relating to denominational school funding.

5.1 Canada’s Obligations

The Government of Canada is a signatory to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the ensuing six principal United Nations human rights conventions and covenants, and their optional protocols. It thus has a moral and legal obligation to implement the decisions of the relevant UN Committees.

All provinces, including Ontario, were consulted - and consented - prior to Canada’s ratification of the Covenant and other related international obligations. As a result Canada and, by extension, all the provinces, became bound by the provisions of these international treaties.

5.2 The Situation in Ontario

Ontario is currently the only jurisdiction in the western, democratic world that funds one religious group exclusively. As a result, approximately 46,000 students are denied equal access to funding, including Christians, Jews, Muslims, Sikhs, Seventh Day Adventists and Armenian Orthodox Christians. The United Nations Special Rapporteur for Human Rights is now considering the refusal of Canada - based on Ontario’s negative response - to abide by its ruling.

5.3 The UN Decision

On November 5, 1999 the United Nations Human Rights Committee rendered a decision condemning Ontario’s policy of extending funding to only one religious denomination to the exclusion of all others. The UN ruling was clear: this practice is discriminatory and contravenes Canada’s obligations under the UN Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. “…if a state chooses to provide public funding to religious schools {as required by the Constitution for Roman Catholic Schools} it should make this funding available without discrimination”.⁵³

Canada has a special responsibility, given its standing and leadership role in the international human rights community, to demonstrate its unequivocal adherence to all UN rulings rather than abrogating its responsibility. Otherwise, how can it ask or expect other states to respect the human rights decisions that pertain to them?

º B’nai Brith Canada urges the Government to ensure that Ontario - and therefore Canada - is in complete compliance with this important UN ruling by ensuring that all denominational schools receive equal funding.