A/HRC/11/17* victims of trafficking; (c) in line with the CERD and CEDAW recommendations to implement fully the antidiscrimination legislation in the labour market including considering the adoption of temporary special measures. 76. Denmark recommended that Canada, (a) in its follow-up to the UPR, engage with civil society in a thorough and timely manner. Denmark asked how the Government views the open letter from legal scholars arguing for endorsement of the Declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples and the House of Commons Motion calling for its endorsement. It recommended that Canada (b) reconsider its stance vis-à-vis the Declaration; (c) ratify OPCAT and that an effective National Preventive Mechanism is established; and (d) denounce its policy of no longer seeking clemency for Canadians convicted and given the death penalty in countries deemed to have “the rule of law”. 77. On Aboriginal issues, Canada acknowledged that there have been wrongs in the past. The Government is working with aboriginal communities to establish priorities, and while the challenges are significant, there is progress on many fronts, including education, entrepreneurship, economic development, land claims and safe drinking water. 78. The 2009 federal budget invests $1.4 billion for the following priority issues for Aboriginal peoples: training and skills development, housing, urgent needs such as improved access to drinking water, health programmes for the Inuit and First Nations, child services, and creation of economic opportunities. 79. Negotiated treaties, both historic and modern, address land claims covering the majority of Canada’s territory. Treaty negotiation processes are long and complex, but are the best tool for striking a balance between the interests of Aboriginal peoples and other Canadians. The Territory of Nunavut, covering one-fifth of Canada’s landmass, was created in April 1999 as a result of a negotiated Inuit land claims agreement. The first modern treaty signed in an urban context will come into force in April 2009, signed with a nation in British Colombia. 80. On collective rights, Canada has developed, through negotiations with partners, a number of approaches that do not require extinguishment of Aboriginal rights. Progress has been made with regards to specific claims and a new independent body with the power to make decisions on the validity of a claim and compensation to be paid has been established. Whereas the court offers a new option to settle claims, the Federal Government maintains its commitment to settle claims through negotiation. The law setting up the new tribunal was drawn up with the Assembly of First Nations. 81. Aboriginal women constitute a substantial proportion of the population of Saskatchewan. The philosophy in that province for addressing violence against women is to work in partnership and be proactive by creating key programmes such as pro-charging and prosecution policies; domestic violence courts that use a therapeutic model; shelters and sexual assault centres; legislation allowing women to apply for emergency intervention to deal with abusive spouses; programmes dealing with Aboriginal family violence. 82. To address the sensitive issue of missing Aboriginal women, Saskatchewan has created a provincial partnership committee, including representatives from the Aboriginal community, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, local police and many other groups. This taskforce is used to support families, to examine underlying reasons behind missing persons, to help women and children enhance their safety and to develop information sharing and data collection networks. There is similar important work at national, federal and provincial levels, involving collaboration between community and Government, and comprehensive victims’ service programmes. 83. The delegation highlighted, as a best practice, that 50 per cent of cabinet members in the provincial Government of Quebec are women. GE.09-15299 15