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The 2030 agenda also grounds economic development in the responsibility of all states to respect and protect human rights without discrimination. One of the most shameful aspects of the Site C dam is the abject failure to respect the rights of First Nations who seek to preserve the Peace Valley as one of the few remaining areas in the region where they can still practice their cultures and traditions.

Consider this as well: the B.C. government is currently in front of the courts fighting against First Nations so that construction of the Site C can continue even though the government acknowledges that their constitutionally-protected treaty rights have been ignored. The legal tactics being used by the province are at odds with the sustainable development goals which describe “democracy, good governance and the rule of law” – including access to justice – as the “enabling environment” essential for sustainable development.

The federal and provincial governments could allay all these concerns by withdrawing their permits for this destructive and unnecessary mega project. With the UN’s sustainable development agenda, Canada has already embraced – and indeed championed – an alternative vision in which economic development is pursued in ways that compatible with and supportive of our social and environment values. Now Canada needs to live up to that vision. At the very least, the federal and provincial governments should not be pursuing projects like Site C that so sharply contradict Canada’s international commitments.

A.J. Klein is an organizer with the Council of Canadians. Grand Chief Stewart Phillip is president of the Union of BC Indian Chiefs. Craig Benjamin is Campaigner for the Rights of Indigenous Peoples with Amnesty International Canada.