(July 7, 2026) – The Canadian Council of Parliamentary Ombudsman, a council comprised of provincial and territorial ombudsman, is renewing calls for swift action on the implementation of recommendations made in the Call for Justice 1.7 of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (NIMMIWG) regarding the creation of national and regional Indigenous and Human Rights Ombudspersons.
The Call for Justice 1.7 recognizes the importance of ombudsman institutions to ensure all citizens’ rights are respected and they are treated fairly by governments and government organizations. This role is also regarded by the United Nations General Assembly as fundamental to furthering democratic rights by addressing the imbalance of power between individuals and the providers of public services. Currently, Indigenous peoples’ issues about federal services are often brought to provincial and territorial ombuds offices, which do not have jurisdiction or authority to address these matters. Consequently, Indigenous people in Canada have limited avenues to resolve those concerns.