Ottawa, Ontario (May 30, 2024) — The Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations, Gary Anandasangaree, issued the following statement today on the Ministerial Special Representative’s report on the creation of Indigenous and Human Rights Ombudspersons:

“I would like to sincerely thank the ever-diligent Jennifer Moore Rattray for her hard work in delivering this Call for Justice 1.7 Final Report. Since her appointment in January 2023 as Ministerial Special Representative, she has met with over 600 people representing more than 125 First Nations, Inuit and Métis governments and other Indigenous organizations. These meetings helped inform her work, and I extend my gratitude to all who participated.

Call for Justice 1.7 encourages the federal, provincial, and territorial governments, in partnership with Indigenous Peoples, to establish a mechanism to resolve complaints on Indigenous and human rights.

I appreciate that the Ministerial Special Representative’s recommendations aim at recognizing and supporting the diversity of Indigenous cultures, languages, and traditions in the creation of Indigenous and Human Rights Ombudspersons. These insights will guide further discussions on how to implement Call for Justice 1.7 with Indigenous and other partners, ensuring that the priorities and perspectives of Indigenous women, girls, Two-spirit, and gender-diverse people, families, and survivors remain at the centre of the collaborative work that we are doing to end the national crisis.

We must keep working in partnership with the provinces and territories to respond to the Calls for Justice from the Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and build a future where all Indigenous Peoples are safe and secure no matter where they reside. Today, we are one step closer. There is much more to do.”