STATEMENT - CHRC Annual Report: Human rights are key to this moment for Canada
OTTAWA, ON, April 15, 2026 /CNW/ -
Charlotte-Anne Malischewski, Chief Commissioner of the Canadian Human Rights Commission, issues the following statement:
Today, in its newly published 2025 Annual Report to Parliament, the Canadian Human Rights Commission is emphasizing that respect for human rights must be the key to how Canada tackles one of the most significant challenging periods in our history.
The once-in-a-generation geopolitical and economic tensions, the troubling rise in hate, the record income inequality, and the mounting cost-of-living crisis have all placed Canada at an historic crossroads. And right there at the center of all of it hinges the basic human rights of people in Canada.
In 2025, Prime Minister Mark Carney said that "Our values must be fought for. That's what we're doing, and Canadians are up for it."
Respect for human rights must be one of those core values we fight for. That is especially true in hard times.
It's why in 2025 the Canadian Human Rights Commission continued to deliver human rights protections to people in Canada under the authority of five federal laws, coordinated together as a single federal human rights system. It's why we continued to speak out to advance human rights in Canada, including the right to housing, the right to equal and fair pay, the right to a barrier-free Canada, and the right to live free from discrimination. It's why we represented the public interest in key human rights cases before Canada's courts and shone a light on new and emerging human rights issues. It's why we are strengthening our services to help people in Canada better understand their rights and access justice.
Across all our roles and responsibilities in 2025, we underscored that a stronger Canada is one where everyone feels that they belong -- in where they work, in their access to critical life services, and in the everyday moments where human rights matter most. That is where Canada can set itself apart now, as a leader among democratic nations, and as an example to the world.
Read more in our 2025 Annual Report to Parliament, tabled in the House of Commons and the Senate at the end of March 2026.
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SOURCE Canadian Human Rights Commission
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