Declaration Act Secretariat

In 2022, the B.C. Government established the Declaration Act Secretariat, a central agency within government that guides and supports the implementation of the Declaration Act across the B.C. government. Originally, the Secretariat focused on ensuring provincial laws align with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (PDF, 150KB) (UN Declaration) and are developed in consultation and co-operation with Indigenous Peoples, as set out in Section 3 of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (Declaration Act).

Since spring 2025, the Secretariat has held all sections of the Declaration Act, providing advice and coordination for the Province in the following areas:

• Section 3 mandates the government to bring provincial laws into alignment with the UN Declaration
• Section 4 requires the Province to develop and implement an action plan, in consultation and co-operation with Indigenous Peoples, to meet the objectives of the UN Declaration
• Section 5 requires regular reporting to the legislature to monitor progress on the alignment of laws and implementation of the action plan, including tabling annual reports by June 30 of each year
• Sections 6 and 7 allow for flexibility for the Province to enter into agreements with a broader range of Indigenous governments and to exercise statutory decision-making authority together