The Canadian Human Rights Commission's Annual Report for 2000 and its companion volume, the Employment Equity Report, record commendable progress for the Commission. I note with pride our improvements to service in dealing with complaints, our work with provincial partners, our participation in international human rights activities, and our promoting of human rights in the workplace.

But, this report is not just about the Commission; it is also about Canada. Do we, as a nation, live up to our claims to respect human rights? Have we built a human rights culture? Do we abide by international human rights principles? What is the health of human rights in Canada?

Our report draws attention to facts that suggest that, as a nation and as individuals, we have much to do. I am disheartened to report that, in the year 2000, single mothers and elderly women continue to be more likely to live in poverty than most other Canadians; that people with disabilities are too often denied access to the workforce and the jobs that would improve their circumstances; that members of visible minority groups find themselves excluded from many aspects of our society; and that the living conditions of Aboriginal peoples, both on and off reserves, are well below those enjoyed by other Canadians.

How can this be, when Canada has long agreed with other countries on the importance of political and civil rights, as well as economic, social and cultural rights? Canada is often congratulated on its record and seen as a human rights leader. And yet, we cannot ignore that we fall short of our own standards -- and those of the international community -- in a number of areas.

Of special concern to me is the issue of pay equity. Pay equity embodies key human rights principles. It is as essential for the economic and social well-being of Canadians as it is for women's equality. And yet the current system for implementing pay equity finds itself at an impasse, with cases delayed by litigation and procedural questions. That is why, in February 2001, the Commission tabled a special report on pay equity, entitled Time for Action. The report assesses how federal pay equity provisions have worked up to now, and suggests how those provisions might be improved, based on the Commission's more than twenty years' experience in this area.

In fact, our Commission has long talked about the need for better tools for protecting and promoting all areas of human rights. The recommendations put forward by the Canadian Human Rights Act Review Panel in 2000 were a welcome step towards improving the legislation. This is not to say that I am convinced by all of the Panel's proposals. And we still await word from the government on what changes it plans to make. But I am encouraged that we are thinking about how to chart a future course for our legislation -- and for a Canada where human rights are a reality for everyone.

Our work in promoting human rights plays an important part in reaching that goal. In the coming months, my fellow Commissioners and I will speak to many people about human rights issues, especially about pay equity and human rights in the workplace. We will remind our audiences that human rights are a responsibility not just of the Commission and the human rights bodies in the provinces and territories. Human rights are an on-going responsibility of each Canadian. Only if we carry the idea of human rights into our daily lives and, as individuals, take action to make them a reality can Canada boast a true human rights culture.

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