EMRIP Participation and Information Reports

This page highlights the collaborative work of the National Family and Survivors Circle Inc. (NFSC Inc.), in partnership with Indigenous-led and grassroots organizations across Canada, to uphold the rights, safety, security and dignity of Indigenous women, girls, Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, asexual  people (2SLGBTQQIA+), impacted family members, and survivors of gender- and race-based violence.

Through participation in the United Nations Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (EMRIP) and other global human rights forums, NFSC Inc. and its partners work to ensure the voices and solutions of Indigenous communities are reflected in international dialogue and action.   The rights, voices, and leadership of Indigenous women, girls, 2SLGBTQQIA+ people, impacted family members, and survivors must be at the heart of all efforts to ensure justice and transformative change — in Canada and around the world.

Advance Rights-Based, Community-Driven Solutions

Support effective, culturally grounded responses to systemic violence, rooted in the lived experiences and leadership of Indigenous women, girls, 2SLGBTQQIA+ people, impacted families, and survivors.

Promote Implementation of the 231 Calls for Justice

Advance coordinated action at all levels of government and society to fulfill the Calls for Justice as legal and human rights obligations.

Strengthen Knowledge, Capacity, and Tools for Justice

Share Indigenous-led resources, data, and strategies that support transformative change through Indigenous law, sovereignty, and international human rights frameworks.

Engage International Human Rights Mechanisms

Utilize platforms such as EMRIP to elevate grassroots priorities, foster global accountability, and build long-term alliances for systemic change.

Included on This Page

Reports and publications by NFSC Inc. and partner organizations

Co-Hosted by:

• Giganawenimaanaanig (We All Take Care of Them)
• National Family and Survivors Circle Inc.
• Indigenous Peoples’ Rights International
• Southern Chiefs’ Organization
• University of Auckland and Te Puna Rangahau o te Wai Ariki|Aotearoa Centre for Indigenous Peoples and the Law

Sandwiches and refreshments will be available.

Interpretation available in English, French and Spanish.

Hilda Anderson-Pyrz, National Family and Survivors Circle

Chief Tréchelle Bunn, Birdtail Sioux Dakota Nation/Southern Chiefs’ Organization

Alma Sinumlag, Indigenous Peoples Rights International

Sandra DeLaronde, Giganawenimaanaanig (We All Take Care of Them)

Claire Charters, University of Auckland

231 Calls For Justice

Reclaiming Power and Place: The Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls delivers 231 individual Calls for Justice directed at governments, institutions, social service providers, industries and all Canadians. These Calls for Justice are legal imperatives and represent important ways to end the genocide and to transform systemic and societal values that have worked to maintain colonial violence.

View the 231 Calls for Justice Click on Link: Calls For Justice • National Family and Survivors Circle

National Inquiry Final Report

Reclaiming Power and Place: The Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls
The National Inquiry’s Final Report reveals that persistent and deliberate human and Indigenous rights violations and abuses are the root cause behind Canada’s staggering rates of violence against Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQIA+ people. The two-volume report calls for transformative legal and social changes to resolve the crisis that has devastated Indigenous communities across the country.

View the National Inquiry Final Report Click on Link: Calls For Justice • National Family and Survivors Circle

Supplementary Report: Genocide

This report highlights that the thousands of truths shared before the National Inquiry reinforce the existence of acts of genocide against Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQIA+ people, and offers legal analysis and discussion supporting this conclusion.

View the Supplementary on Genocide Click on Link: Calls For Justice • National Family and Survivors Circle

“The Path Forward – Reclaiming Power and Place”

This is the National Family and Survivors Circle Inc (NFSC) contribution to the National Action Plan (NAP) and is independent from the Core Working Group and the Sub-working Groups. In our contribution, we provide the position, perspectives, and priorities of the NFSC members with respect to the Calls for Justice and the NAP. We outline best practices on how to include families and survivors. We advocate for the recognition of the agency and the leadership of families and survivors in their Nations and communities. Further, we outline our expectations of all those with obligations and responsibility to take action to end the genocide against Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQIA+ people.

View the NFSC Contribution Click on the Link: NFSC Contribution to the National Action Plan • National Family and Survivors Circle

Circles of Change: A Shared Path Forward

Change that matters — change that lasts — is never made alone.
The National Family and Survivors Circle Inc. (NFSC Inc.) Circles of Change: Honouring Truth & Igniting Action (2025–2030) national Strategic Plan, and a bold invitation to governments, institutions, and communities to move from words to measurable action.

View the Circle of Change: A Shared Path Forward Strategic Plan Click on the Link: Circles of Change: A Shared Path Forward • National Family and Survivors Circle

Pilot Project to Develop a Manitoba-wide Red Dress Alert System – Interim Summary Report to Our Communities (June 3, 2025)

Introduction
This Interim Summary Report outlines the progress of a Manitoba-wide Red Dress Alert system, led by Giganawenimaanaanig (“We All Take Care of Them”), to address the urgent crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people through a rapid alert response. Grounded in Indigenous knowledge, lived experience, and guidance from communities across the province, the report shares key themes from engagement sessions and describes the steps toward building a culturally safe, trauma-informed system. It calls on all levels of government, institutions, and the public to act collectively in supporting an Indigenous-led initiative that ensures timely, respectful, and coordinated responses when a person goes missing.

View the Interim Summary Report Click on the Link: Interim Summary Report

CEDAW Recommendations to Canada – October 2024

In October 2024, during its 89th session in Geneva, the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) reviewed Canada’s compliance with its obligations under the Convention. The Committee issued strong recommendations urging Canada to address systemic gender-based discrimination, with particular emphasis on the rights and safety of Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people. These recommendations call for urgent legislative reforms, including changes to the Indian Act, accelerated action on the Calls for Justice from the MMIWG Inquiry, and improved protections for marginalized groups.

View the Concluding Observations Click on the Link: Concluding Observations on the Tenth Periodic Report of Canada (CEDAW/C/CAN/CO/10)

United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP)

Adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2007, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) is a landmark international instrument that affirms the individual and collective rights of Indigenous Peoples around the world. It recognizes their rights to self-determination, cultural preservation, traditional lands and resources, languages, education, and governance, and calls on states to obtain free, prior, and informed consent before taking actions that affect Indigenous communities. UNDRIP sets a global standard for the protection and promotion of Indigenous rights and is a vital framework for advancing justice, healing, and reconciliation.

View the UNDRIP Declaration Click on the Link: https://www.un.org/development/desa/indigenouspeoples/declaration-on-the-rights-of-indigenous-peoples.html

CEDAW Inquiry Report on Canada (2015)

This report was issued by the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) following an inquiry into Canada’s failure to prevent and address the disproportionately high rates of violence against Indigenous women and girls. It marks a significant international finding that Canada had violated its obligations under the Convention by not exercising due diligence. The report played a key role in shaping national and international responses to the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG).
Title: Report of the inquiry concerning Canada under article 8 of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women
Date: 6 March 2015
Document Code: CEDAW/C/OP.8/CAN/1
Official UN Link:
https://undocs.org/en/CEDAW/C/OP.8/CAN/1
Download Full Report (PDF):
https://undocs.org/pdf?symbol=en/CEDAW/C/OP.8/CAN/1

United Nations EMRIP 18th Session – July 14–18, 2025 | Geneva, Switzerland

The Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (EMRIP) is a key body within the United Nations that provides expert advice and promotes the implementation of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). EMRIP brings together Indigenous leaders, advocates, states, and UN representatives from around the world to address critical issues affecting Indigenous Peoples, including self-determination, cultural rights, traditional economies, and data sovereignty.

The 18th Session of EMRIP will take place from July 14 to 18, 2025, at the United Nations Office in Geneva, Switzerland. This session includes panel discussions, official interventions, and side events that advance the rights and priorities of Indigenous communities globally. This year’s themes include data sovereignty, Indigenous languages, and enhancing Indigenous participation in UN processes.

To learn more about the session, view the agenda, or explore how Indigenous Peoples are engaging globally, visit the official UN event page:
EMRIP 18th Session – UN OHCHR Website