The Federal Government, Province and First Nations Summit have endorsed a policy on Recognition and Reconciliation of Rights for Treaty Negotiations in British Columbia. This B.C. specific policy bases negotiations on the recognition and continuation of rights without rights being modified, surrendered or extinguished upon signing of a treaty.
The policy is designed to be consistent with federal and provincial commitments to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and builds on earlier work including the Principals’ Accord. It establishes a process where negotiation mandates are co-developed in recognition of the inherent right to self-determination. An intent of the policy is to provide greater flexibility to develop agreements in an incremental or staged way. The new policy was endorsed on September 4, 2019, and took effect immediately.
This new approach is anticipated to have limited impacts on local governments, but UBCM will monitor its implementation and work with the Province through the renewed MOU on engagement. UBCM’s renewed MOUwas broadened in scope in anticipation of the new approach. This MOU provides opportunity for UBCM and local government input on Treaty Agreements, non-Treaty Agreements and other Indigenous Initiatives that have impacts in areas of local government jurisdiction.