The 2024-25 Declaration Act Annual Report showcases the collaborative effort being made by the Province and Indigenous Peoples to implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UN Declaration) in B.C. and build a better future.

The report, which covers the period between April 1, 2024, and March 31, 2025, details work underway on 78 of 89 specific Declaration Act Action Plan actions, as well progress to align provincial laws with the UN Declaration.

The Province is working shoulder to shoulder with Indigenous governments and organizations on partnerships that support healthy communities, improve the education system, create economic opportunities, strengthen sustainable stewardship of the land, water and resources, and improve services and community safety.

Highlights found within the report include:

• Launching a new co-governance structure with 17 First Nations and Canada to protect and conserve marine wildlife and habitats in the Great Bear Sea, and support stewardship efforts led by First Nations (learn more on page 36 of the report).
• Creating partnerships between Indigenous knowledge holders and the Province on cultural and prescribed fires. This includes expanding the number of engaged, knowledgeable and experienced people who can safely and collaboratively use fire as a tool for land stewardship, while working to remove existing barriers to Indigenous uses of fire (page 46).
• Putting a new graduation requirement in place for the 2023-24 school year ensures all students complete Indigenous-focused coursework before they graduate from B.C.’s K-12 education system. More than 45,000 graduates have completed at least four Indigenous-focused courses since implementation of the new requirement. Prior to implementation, fewer than 5% of graduates had taken any Indigenous-focused courses at the secondary-school level (page 61).
• Ensuring children have the best start by supporting the creation of 483 Métis-led child care spaces throughout B.C. and 2,200 free Aboriginal Head Start child care spaces with culturally relevant programming (page 114).
• Recognizing the integral role First Nations-mandated post-secondary institutes play in supporting First Nations learners and providing these centres with ongoing funding through new legislation (page 130).

Learn More:

Read the sixth Declaration Act Annual Report to learn more about the cross-government efforts to advance reconciliation – guided by the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act and in meaningful consultation and co-operation with Indigenous Peoples:
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/british-columbians-our-governments/indigenous-people/aboriginal-peoples-documents/2024_2025_declaration_act_annual_report.pdf

Explore the refreshed Declaration Act website and reporting from the first three years of the Declaration Act Action Plan: https://declaration.gov.bc.ca