Ottawa, October 09, 2026.- Canada must strengthen efforts to address systemic and intersectional forms of racism and racial discrimination, largely rooted in complex colonial histories, a UN expert said today.
“During my visit, I noted Canada’s efforts to address racism through anti-racism policies and initiatives, while also seeing that significant racial inequalities and concerns about the effectiveness and implementation of these measures remain,” said Ashwini K.P, the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism in a statement following an official visit to Canada.
“Canada has established robust legal protections for equality and non-discrimination and has taken significant steps to address racism, including Canada’s Anti-Racism Strategy 2024-2028 and efforts to strengthen the collection of racially and ethnically disaggregated data. Yet these commitments must be measured against realities experienced by racialised communities,” the expert said.
The Special Rapporteur noted persistent reports of gaps between the aims of anti-racism measures and the lived realities of diverse racialised groups in Canada.
“Across the country, I heard from diverse communities about persistent experiences of hatred, discrimination and systemic racism. These lived realities are the ultimate measure of whether anti-racism commitments are translating into meaningful change,” she said.
The Special Rapporteur expressed concern about multiple forms of racism including new manifestations of racial discrimination and their impact on Africans and people of African descent, Indigenous Peoples, caste-affected communities, Jews, Muslims, people of Arab descent, Palestinians, Asians and people of Asian descent. She stressed that those experiencing racism often face multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination, resulting in structural and institutional exclusion. She noted manifestations of such racism, including hate speech, hate crimes, racial profiling, the criminalisation of racialised communities, and systemic discrimination in relation to housing, decent work, healthcare and education.
“Canada sits at a challenging juncture, with the country facing a significant degree of economic uncertainty and cross-cutting challenges, including increasing political and social polarisation and fragility within the social fabric,” the expert said.
“At this critical moment, Canada must reaffirm its unwavering commitment to democratic and human rights values and strengthen efforts to address gaps in the implementation of key anti-racism standards, while ensuring full compliance with international human rights frameworks.”
Ashwini K.P. will present a full report on her visit to the UN Human Rights Council in June 2027.