Canada has long supported and advocated for increased human rights around the world. Whether its shaping its foreign policy based on human rights, to holding foreign governments accountable for human rights violations, and participating in campaigns calling for the protection of human rights around the world, Canada is seen at the forefront of international discourse on the topic. Human rights violations by countries including Saudi Arabia, ODA countries and more recently China have shaped Canadian foreign policies, and have led to economic and diplomatic sanctions against these countries as a form of protest. Yet, Canada also has a long history of violating human rights that it claims to protect so heavily today.
Similarly, Canadian interests in supporting developing countries can be seen through its participation in various ODA-related activities. Official Development Assistance is an important way for countries to engage in international discourse, build relationships and diplomacy, while securing their own national and international interests.
This section explores what got this North American state to where it is today, and how its past shapes the present in regards to human rights, ODA, and barriers to globalism.
Canada has participated in the international discourse in support of human rights and taken actions against human rights violations.