A/HRC/41/41/Add.2 economic gaps between Indigenous people and non-Indigenous Canadians, advancing self-determination and improving relationships with Indigenous peoples. Canada is taking important steps in the work of reconciliation through historic investments. Canada is building on programs for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities to deliver clean water, housing, child and family services, training and health care, as well as establishing new funding relationships with First Nations intended to secure a better quality of life for Indigenous peoples by moving toward predictable and sustained funding for First Nations communities. Most recently the 2018 federal budget announced $5 billion over five years to support Indigenous communities and peoples by taking further steps to improve the quality of life for Indigenous peoples and to support the recognition and implementation of Indigenous rights.b In Georgia, the Supreme Audit Office launched the Budget Monitor tool, an online platform providing budget information, including on public debt, major infrastructure projects, municipal budgets and audits, in an accessible format. The platform allows public participation and invites users to identify shortcomings in public service delivery, report cases of corruption and prioritize government agencies for the Office to audit. The platform now includes a feature related to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, including Goal-related audits, issues and recommendations for budget spending. In Sri Lanka, the Right to Information Act, approved by Parliament in June 2016 following over 20 years of advocacy by civil society organizations, provides a robust and progressive legal framework to ensure the effective exercise of the right to freedom of information in accordance with the Global Right to Information Rating system of the Centre for Law and Democracy. Since its adoption, the Act has empowered communities and civil society actors to scrutinize government decisions and participate in public life. Use of the law by civil society organizations has led to the disclosure of information related to corruption and human rights violations. For example, information relating to bilateral agreements between the Government and Middle Eastern States pertaining to migrant workers was disclosed pursuant to a decision of the Right to Information Commission. Another good example of how Governments can empower people and promote civil society participation in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda is the Regional Agreement on Access to Information, Public Participation and Justice in Environmental Matters in Latin America and the Caribbean (the Escazú Agreement), adopted in March 2018. The Escazú Agreement develops Principle 10 of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, which states that the best way to deal with environmental matters is though the effective participation of all people. The Escazú Agreement is also the first binding instrument to offer a specific regimen of protection for environmental human rights defenders and their organizations. While the Escazú Agreement promotes citizen participation, the negotiating process also saw the public participate directly by way of electing representatives from the public to have a seat at the negotiating table and present proposals to delegates. a See https://sitoumus2050.fi/en/web/sitoumus2050/home#/. Canada, Global Affairs Canada, Canada’s Implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: Voluntary National Review (Ottawa, 2018). b C. Accountability for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its processes is crucial to ensuring the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, in which the role of civil society as a watchdog is critical 54. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development provides for the follow-up and review process to be “open, inclusive, participatory and transparent for all people”, and to be “people-centred, gender-sensitive, respect human rights and have a particular focus on 8