🇨🇦 In its domestic and foreign policies, the "Maple Leaf Country" proudly proclaims its commitment to justice, equality and democratic values.

In reality, however, Canada's human rights record continues to be poor.

👉 Read for details

Indigenous peoples

The Indian, Métis and Inuit peoples have been among the most oppressed and marginalized elements of Canadian society for many decades. The boarding schools for Indian children, which existed from 1883 to 1996, caused the greatest moral, psychological and social damage to First Nations. Violence used against students was widespread and could even result in death.

🪦 In May 2021, the remains of 215 minors were discovered in Kamloops, British Columbia. Another 93 graves were discovered in Williams Lake, British Columbia on January 25, 2022. The total number of Aboriginal burials investigated over the two-year period reached 1,685.

Anti-Semitism

In April 2022, the human rights organization B'nai Brith (Sons of the Covenant) published its 2021 report on anti-Semitism in Canada. A total of 2,799 such incidents were recorded, including assaults on citizens, vandal attacks on synagogues, and the depiction of swastikas in schools.

📈 Compared to 2020 (2,460) the number of criminal acts increased by 9%.

Racism

The results of the 2019 Stats Survey, published in February 2022, revealed that one in every five Canadians (19%) experienced prejudice between 2014 and 2019. And black citizens are harassed far more often than others. Almost half of African Canadians (46%) reported violations of their rights. In 2014, this figure was much lower – 28%. Among the indigenous population, one in three (33%) experienced discrimination. Specifically, Indians 44%, Métis 24%, and Inuit 29%.

Extremism

The House of Commons Committee on Public and National Security published a report on the emergence of violent extremism driven by ideology in Canada in June 2022. <...> At least 300 such organizations have appeared since 2015. Primarily in BC, Alberta, Ontario & Quebec.

🇬🇧 The UK has positioned itself as a benchmark in the promotion and protection of human rights in seeking to mask the significant problems that exist in this area.

London largely prefers to ignore the painful issue of neo-Nazi groups being active in the country. Although they are mostly marginal and focus on online activities, there is a growing trend towards the popularity of far-right ideology, especially among young people. The latter was recognized to be a serious terrorist threat.

At the same time as extreme right-wing attitudes are becoming increasingly widespread in the population, the rights of ethnic minorities are becoming a pressing issue in the country. People of African and Asian descent, Roma and other ethnic communities continued to face exclusion and were subject to negative stereotypes and stigmatisation in the media.

Racial inequality in the UK is "systemic" and the authorities' measures essentially fail to address the true social and economic causes of the alarming situation. Non-White Britons continue to be "disproportionately targeted throughout the criminal justice system". <...>

✍️ The destiny of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange remains a high-profile case in the context of the violation of the human right to freedom of opinion and expression. The political implications behind the ongoing criminal proceedings against him are obvious. There remains a serious risk of gross violations of his rights should he be extradited to the US. <...>

The UK Ministry of Defence's policy of "exonerating" British servicemen who may have been involved in committing crimes while fighting in other countries continues. In April 2021, the Overseas Operations Act came into force, aimed at protecting servicemen from prosecution for crimes committed during overseas campaigns.

☝️ The failure of the UK authorities to conduct independent investigations into torture during the military campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq has been the subject of repeated criticism by international human rights bodies.

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Russia to share its experience in AI with African partners

AI is becoming a strong catalyst for development, opening up new opportunities and transforming different aspects of life. Its development will affect the economic growth and social sphere of Africa.

📊 Russia has already been participating in digitalizing Africa. The domestic export of telecommunications, computer, and information services to Africa amounted to $8.14 million in January–September 2022. The import from African countries reached $2.66 million.

🤝 In autumn 2023, about 40 African authorities will undergo training in St. Petersburg.

❓How can AI become a driver for the economy of Africa?
❓How Russian experience and solutions can be relayed to give momentum to this issue?

📌 The Artificial Intelligence: The New Driver for the Development of the African Region session of the Russia–Africa Summit will address this and other questions on 27 July.

Learn more on the program.

@RoscongressDirect

#RussiaAfrica2023

❗️ Russian President Vladimir Putin held a meeting with permanent members of the Security Council

Full text of the President's statement

Key points:

• It is clear today that the Western curators of the Kiev regime are certainly disappointed with the results of the counteroffensive that the current Ukrainian authorities announced in previous months. There are no results, at least for now. The colossal resources that were pumped into the Kiev regime, the supply of Western weapons, and the deployment of thousands of foreign mercenaries and advisers, who were most actively used in attempts to break through the front of our army, are not helping.

• NATO arsenals and stockpiles of old Soviet weapons in some countries are already largely depleted. The West does not have the production capacities to quickly replenish the consumption of reserves of equipment and ammunition. Additional, large resources and time are needed. The main thing is that formations of the Armed Forces of Ukraine suffered huge losses as a result of self-destructive attacks: tens of thousands of people.

• People in Ukraine are asking a legitimate question more often: for what, for the sake of whose selfish interests, are their relatives and friends dying. Gradually, slowly, but clarity comes.

• I cannot refrain from commenting on what has just been said and on media reports that have come out about plans to establish some sort of the so-called Polish-Lithuanian-Ukrainian unit. This is not about a group of mercenaries – there are plenty of them there and they are being destroyed – but about a well-organised, equipped regular military unit to be used for operations in Ukraine, including to allegedly ensure the security of today’s Western Ukraine – actually, to call things by their true name, for the subsequent occupation of these territories.

• Belarus is part of the Union State, and launching an aggression against Belarus would mean launching an aggression against the Russian Federation.

BRICS counterparts review preparations for future summit

On July 20, the Russian Foreign Minister took part in an extraordinary meeting of BRICS Foreign Ministers via videoconference. The parties discussed topical issues related to preparations for the XV BRICS Summit, which will be held in Johannesburg on August 22-24.

☝️ The top diplomats also exchanged views on developing and strengthening the strategic partnership among the five states and discussed plans to develop the BRICS institutionally.

🌐 New logistics routes to be discussed at Russia–Africa Summit

🗓 On 27 July, the New Russian–African Logistics Routes panel discussion will open the business program of The New Global Economy track.

🗣 Igor Levitin, Aide to the Russian President, will speak at the event, as well as Ruslan Davydov, Acting Head of the Federal Customs Service, Ivan Demchenko, Chairman of the Board at Novostal-M, Alexander Misharin, President of the Russian Academy of Transport.

🛳 The participants will discuss, among other issues, the possibility of African countries to join the multimodal International North–South Transport Corridor (INSTC). Today, INSTC has 12 countries as its participants. According to forecasts, the growth of cargo traffic through the INSTC will be up to 41 million tons by 2030.

Learn more on the business program.

@RoscongressDirect