Article content

A United Nations committee has warned Canada that continued construction of the Site C hydro dam in northeastern B.C. may violate international agreements.

The UN’s committee on the elimination of racial discrimination says Canada may have already violated an agreement it signed 50 years ago. That agreement commits Canada to prevent development on Indigenous land without adequate consultation.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or UN committee says B.C.’s Site C dam may break international deals Back to video

Canada has also promised to block destructive development, allow Indigenous people to conduct their own impact studies and stop forcing First Nations to go to court.

“The committee is concerned about the alleged lack of measures taken to ensure the right to consultation and free, prior and informed consent with regard to the Site C dam,” reads a Dec. 14 letter addressed to Rosemary McCarney, Canada’s ambassador to the UN.

“(Site C) would infringe Indigenous Peoples’ rights protected under the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.”