QUESTION PERIOD — Ministry of Employment and Social Development
United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
October 7, 2025
Thank you, Madam Secretary, for appearing before the Senate today. Article 22(1) of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples states:
Particular attention shall be paid to the rights and special needs of indigenous elders, women, youth, children and persons with disabilities in the implementation of this Declaration.
As the Secretary of State for seniors, what are you and the department doing to ensure that the principles that underlie the declaration are being applied to the work of Employment and Social Development Canada, or ESDC, in relation to seniors?
Thank you for the question. I’ve mentioned the GBA Plus analysis before. It is a helpful intersectional lens that includes the perspective of Indigenous People and seniors, as well as women and other intersectionalities. I’ve always found that it’s an important lens to be applied. That is — I think — one of the core ways in which we ensure that programs, policies and legislation are developed with intersectionalities in mind.
One piece of work that ESDC has done in participation with the Federal/Provincial/Territorial Working Group on Social Isolation and Social Innovation is the publication of a tool kit called Social isolation of seniors: A Focus on Indigenous Seniors in Canada.
This was created as a supplementary resource to help organizations and service providers adopt approaches to help Indigenous seniors strengthen human connections. We know that social isolation is a silent reality experienced by many seniors, particularly Indigenous seniors. It is hoped that this resource will be a tool that will heighten awareness and sensitivity and help organizations address their particular social needs.
Thank you for your response. Work on a UN convention on the rights of older persons has been ongoing for the last several decades. What is Canada doing to support the proposed convention?
Canada has always been a leader on the global stage when it comes to protecting the rights of older persons. We are working with the UN Open-ended Working Group on Ageing, because we believe in building international consensus and securing a world where seniors are empowered, respected and protected.
The UN Convention on the Rights of Older Persons requires global collaboration, and Canada is certainly ready to do its part. We are united, engaged and determined to protect the rights of seniors, not just here at home, but around the world. Thank you for your attention to that matter.
