While Ontario Attorney General Madeleine Meilleur has not yet publicly released her review of Canada’s new, misguided sex work law, we understand – according to a reported statement today by Premier Kathleen Wynne – that this review has found “no clear unconstitutionality” in the socalled Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act. We disagree with … Read more
As Bill C-2 comes up for a final vote in the House of Commons, organizations across Canada voice their support for life-saving supervised consumption services for people who use drugs. [Click here to read the Statement to Canadian Parliamentarians Opposing Bill C-2.]
“We strongly oppose Bill C-2 and ask our elected representatives to reject it and, instead of creating barriers, increase access to evidence-based prevention, harm reduction and treatment services in Canada. Our communities deserve better.”
Today, Members of Parliament are expected to vote on Bill C-2, the so-called Respect for Communities Act. This bill attacks the human rights of people who use drugs, impeding their access to life-saving harm reduction services. If it becomes law, Bill C-2 would create an onerous, unreasonable process for health authorities and community agencies seeking … Read more
“We, the undersigned non-governmental organizations and activists working for the promotion and protection of human rights and empowerment of all persons, regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or intersex status, would like to express both disappointment and cautious optimism on the occasion of the adoption of the Political Declaration at the 59th … Read more
February 26, 2015 Despite widespread recognition that the so-called “war on drugs” has failed, we continue to read stories from around the world of the unjust criminalization, discrimination and the dehumanization of people who use drugs. In Russia, bad laws that infringe the rights of people who use drugs are fueling the HIV epidemic. People who … Read more
February 13, 2015 By now you know that last Friday, the Supreme Court of Canada unanimously ruled that people living in Canada have the constitutional right to medical assistance in dying, if they so choose. It was a landmark decision and a landmark day, both long in the making. We applaud this historic decision, and … Read more
February 4, 2015 It is estimated that 1.3 million people have experienced homelessness in Canada over the past five years. The country’s streets are host to some 235,000 people on any night, and many more struggle in inadequate or unreliable housing. Yet despite these unconscionable numbers, Canada does not have a federal housing strategy — … Read more
The existing legal framework in Russia makes sex work and related activities punishable offenses, leaving sex workers stigmatized, vulnerable to violence, and disproportionally affected by HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. In light of international human rights standards, in particular the jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights, we examine in this paper whether … Read more
This was released at today’s press conference re: the International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers. Click here to read Richard Elliott’s remarks.