What You Need to Know
Today, the Prime Minister and Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture convened the first meeting of Canada’s new Ministerial Advisory Council on Rights, Equality and Inclusion.
The Advisory Council is composed of nine prominent Canadian experts and community leaders, with a mission to foster social cohesion, rally Canadians around shared identity, combat racism and hate in all their forms, and help guide the efforts of the Government of Canada.
The Council’s mandate includes:
Engaging communities across Canada to strengthen social cohesion and combat hate.
Connecting leaders, organizations, and communities to build trusted networks, enhance collaboration and reduce duplication.
Providing strategic advice and accountability through expert recommendations grounded in research and engagement.
As directed by the Prime Minister, the Council’s first focus area is addressing antisemitism from four different directions:
Reassess the nature, scale, and drivers of antisemitism in Canada – across public institutions, workplaces, campuses, and online spaces.
Develop a whole-of-government approach to antisemitism to ensure federal policies, workplaces, public safety programs, and community initiatives are aligned in protecting Jewish Canadians and confronting hate.
Improve research and the collection of data on hate incidents and build stronger data-sharing systems so all orders of government, schools, and police services are working from the same facts.
Measure the impact of our efforts so that investments in education, prevention, training, and community safety are delivering real results and helping build a safer Canada for everyone.
The Advisory Council will help build a more inclusive and united Canada, grounded in our shared values, and rooted in the belief that far more unites us than divides us.
Key Messages
There is a rise in hate crimes in our communities. No one should feel unsafe because of who they are, how they worship, or where they gather.
We are focused on uniting communities at a time when we, as Canadians, need to be unwavering in confronting antisemitism and all forms of hatred and racism.
Over the last year, our government introduced 6 pieces of legislation to bolster public safety and combat antisemitism and other forms of hatred.
The new Advisory Council on Rights, Equality and Inclusion will foster social cohesion and rally Canadians around our shared identity, while combatting all forms of racism and hate.
