University of British Columbia Press
Resisting Rights
Canada and the International Bill of Rights, 1947–76
9780774838184
Distributed for University of British Columbia Press
Resisting Rights
Canada and the International Bill of Rights, 1947–76
From 1948 to 1966, the United Nations worked to create a common legal standard for human rights protection around the globe. Resisting Rights analyzes the Canadian government’s changing policy toward this endeavour from the 1940s to the 1970s, exploring how developments in international relations and evolving cultural attitudes within Canadian society created pressure on the federal government to overcome its initial reluctance to be bound by international human rights law. This timely study situates current policies within their historical context and debunks the myth that Canada has been at the forefront of international human rights policy since its inception.
Table of Contents
Introduction: Resisting Rights
1 The Roots of Resistance: Canada and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
2 Canada’s Opposition to a Covenant on Human Rights
3 A Reversal in Policy: The Decision to Support the Covenants
4 The Road to Ratification, 1966–76
5 Conclusion: The Making of the Myth
Appendices
Notes
Bibliography
Index