Cabinet Directive on the Implementation of the Inuit Nunangat Policy
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Purpose
- The implementation of the Inuit Nunangat Policy and the application of an Inuit Nunangat Approach is founded upon Inuit-Crown collaboration and co-development.
- The Inuit Nunangat Policy is an important deliverable of the Inuit-Crown Partnership Committee that is intended to help create socio-economic and cultural equity between Inuit and other Canadians.
- All departments and agencies are expected to drive cultural change within their organizations to implement the Inuit Nunangat Policy and help achieve this urgent objective.
- Implementation of the Inuit Nunangat Policy supports existing modern treaties and self-government agreements between Inuit and the Crown, including the processes in place to support their implementation and review, their objectives, and the relationships established therein, as well as other related federal principles, policies, and directives.
- This directive provides an operational framework supporting the consistent implementation of the Inuit Nunangat Policy across all federal departments and agencies. It guides federal departments and agencies to fulfill their responsibilities and enables whole-of-government monitoring and evaluation of implementation.
1: Roles and responsibilities
All federal departments and agencies
- will ensure that they are aware of, understand, and fulfill their department's responsibilities under the Inuit Nunangat Policy
- will ensure that they are aware of, understand and fulfill their departments' responsibilities in applying an Inuit Nunangat approach prior to approving the design and implementation of new or renewed federal policies, programs and initiatives
- will support Inuit Nunangat Policy implementation within ministerial portfolios throughout agencies and Crown Corporations
- will develop and deliver activities, programs, policies and legislation in a manner that respects and complies with the Inuit Nunangat Policy. To this end, departments and agencies will apply an Inuit Nunangat approach to all policy and program proposals to Cabinet
- will provide information to the Inuit Nunangat Policy Implementation Secretariat on activities related to the implementation of the Inuit Nunangat Policy
- consistent with the Indigenous Languages Act, will continue to work in partnership with Inuit to address access to federal programs and services in Inuktut within Inuit Nunangat
- will take measures to recognize the inherent right of Inuit to self-determination, which is recognized and protected under section 35 of the Canadian Constitution
- are encouraged to prepare implementation plans that facilitate the monitoring and evaluation of implementation activities
Cabinet
- Ministers, through meeting of Cabinet committees, will have the shared responsibility of determining if an Inuit Nunangat approach has been applied on proposals that impact Inuit directly or indirectly.
Central agencies
- Central agencies, including the Privy Council Office, the Department of Finance and the Treasury Board Secretariat will:
- confirm that federal departments and agencies have considered an Inuit Nunangat approach including Inuit-specific funding allocations in the design of new or renewed federal policies, programs and initiatives prior to referral of proposals to Cabinet
- work with Inuit and federal departments and agencies to identify funding streams that are Inuit-specific or that can be leveraged to support the implementation of the Inuit Nunangat Policy
2: Inuit Nunangat Policy Implementation Secretariat (Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada)
- The Inuit Nunangat Policy Implementation Secretariat, housed within Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC), will coordinate and guide implementation of the Inuit Nunangat Policy, and support the mandate of the Inuit-Crown Partnership Committee. The Inuit Nunangat Policy Implementation Secretariat:
- will be informed and guided by the direction of the Inuit-Crown Partnership committee and will prepare reports on the implementation of the Inuit Nunangat Policy to support the committee
- will coordinate the interdepartmental committee structures established to manage implementation of the Inuit Nunangat Policy, including ensuring proper federal representation
- will support departments and agencies throughout the development of implementation plans
- will collect information from departments and agencies on the Policy's implementation. Utilizing this information, the Inuit Nunangat Implementation Secretariat will:
- distribute general implementation guidance within 1 year of the directive
- distribute guidance to support departments in:
- in reporting on the implementation of the Inuit Nunangat Policy and its implications for departmental activities
- in determining potential implications of departmental policy, programs and legislation on Inuit
- in undertaking intergovernmental relationships with Inuit
- The Inuit Nunangat Policy Implementation Secretariat will be the primary liaison between the Inuit-Crown Partnership Committee and the Deputy Ministers' Committee.
3: Deputy Ministers' Committee
- The mandate of the committee will encompass:
- executive oversight of the implementation of the directive, and by extension, of the Government of Canada's activities related to the Inuit Nunangat Policy
- strategic direction to departments and agencies in applying coherent approaches to implementing the Inuit Nunangat Policy
- coordination of the federal approach to broad, cross-cutting responsibilities to implement the Inuit Nunangat Policy
- monitoring follow-up on recommendations identified in annual reports or reviews of the Policy and advising departments or agencies of any issues
- Inuit Treaty Organizations will participate quarterly as laid out in the selected Deputy Ministers' Committee's term of reference.
4: Inuit-Crown Partnership Committee
- Regular meetings of the Inuit-Crown Partnership Committee will be convened to help enable federal ministers and Inuit leaders jointly monitor and evaluate the implementation of the Inuit Nunangat Policy.
- Annual implementation status reports, based on jointly developed criteria and prepared by CIRNAC, will inform discussions and support development of recommendations for improving implementation of the Inuit Nunangat Policy.
- The Inuit Nunangat Policy Implementation Secretariat will liaise between Inuit officials and the Deputy Ministers' Committee to help facilitate implementation.
5: Evaluation of the directive
- Within 5 years of the implementation of the directive, CIRNAC and Inuit will jointly conduct an evaluation to:
- assess the effectiveness of the directive
- assess the ongoing need for the directive
- determine if changes to the directive and its supporting structures and governance should be pursued
- The evaluation of the directive will be informed by the reports related to the monitoring and evaluation criteria released annually.
- The evaluation of the directive will be informed by reviews of the Inuit Nunangat Policy conducted pursuant to section 7.3 of the Policy and will be responsive to any recommendations identified within those reviews.