March 2021
Congratulations to Dr. Sheryl Lightfoot, Associate Professor with First Nations and Indigenous Studies, Political Science and School of Public Policy and Global Affairs, for her recent appointment as the North American member on the United Nations Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
In an interview with SPPGA, Dr. Lightfoot described EMRIP and it’s mandate.
“EMRIP is mandated to advise the UN Human Rights Council, but it also engages in dialogue with States and Indigenous peoples and studies provisions of the [UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples] in order to recommend concrete actions that stakeholders can take to advance implementation. Stakeholders could be UN member states, civil society organizations, human rights institutions, and many more. They review EMRIP studies and take away particular advice on policy actions, such as legislative or constitutional adjustments that need to be made to advance the implementation of Indigenous peoples’ human rights.”
Dr. Lightfoot is the first Indigenous woman from Canada to hold this prestigious position. Read more about Dr. Lightfoot and her research here.
Congratulations, Dr. Lightfoot!