The United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights says Canada needs to do more work to ensure Indigenous people are receiving adequate standards of living.

A delegation of indigenous women along with Human Rights Watch travelled to Geneva last month to discuss the ongoing water crisis on reserves in Canada.

In their findings report – the UN urged Canada to live up to its commitment to ensure access to safe drinking water and sanitation for the First Nations — and that Canada should bear in mind not only indigenous peoples’ economic right to water but also the cultural significance of water to indigenous peoples.

They also said that Canada needs to intensify its efforts to address the current housing crisis facing First Nations and Inuit peoples across the country.