A/HRC/11/17* Introduction 1. The Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), established in accordance with Human Rights Council resolution 5/1 of 18 June 2007, held its fourth session from 2 to 13 February 2009. The review of Canada was held at the 3rd meeting on 3 February 2009. The delegation of Canada was headed by Mr. John Sims, Deputy Minister of Justice. At its meeting held on 7 February 2009, the Working Group adopted the present report. 2. On 8 September 2008, the Human Rights Council selected the following group of rapporteurs (troika) to facilitate the review of United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Azerbaijan and Bangladesh. 3. In accordance with paragraph 15 of the annex to resolution 5/1, the following documents were issued for the review of Canada: (a) A national report submitted/written presentation made in accordance with paragraph 15 (a) (A/HRC/WG.6/4/CAN/1); (b) A compilation prepared by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), in accordance with paragraph 15 (b) (A/HRC/WG.6/4/CAN/2); (c) A summary prepared by OHCHR, in accordance with paragraph 15 (c) (A/HRC/WG.6/4/CAN/3). 4. A list of questions prepared in advance by Austria, Czech Republic, Liechtenstein, the Netherlands, Sweden, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Denmark was transmitted to Canada through the troika. These questions are available on the extranet of the UPR. I. Summary of the proceedings of the review process A. Presentation by the State under review 5. At the 3rd meeting, on 3 February 2009, Deputy Minister of Justice, Mr. John Sims, introducing the national report, said Canada has a long tradition of promotion and protection of freedom, democracy, human rights, and the rule of law, in Canada and abroad. Canada recognizes that no country, including itself, has a perfect human rights record, which emphasized the importance of every country opening its human rights records to scrutiny, domestically and internationally. 6. He said Canada has a written constitution based on the rule of law, a division of lawmaking authority between levels of government and an entrenched bill of rights, the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Canada is a bilingual, bi-juridical and federal State. Responsibility for social policy, broadly defined to include health, income support, and housing, is shared among federal, provincial and territorial governments. The advancement of economic, social and cultural rights is mostly achieved through policies, programmes and incentives, rather than legislation. This path yields slightly different processes, but the end results and goals remain the same. 7. Canada is a multicultural and multi-ethnic society shaped over time by different waves of immigrants and their descendants. Aboriginal peoples are a defining aspect of Canada and of Canadian identity. GE.09-15299 3