* UN experts examine Canada's record on civil, political
rights
* Urge Canada to set up independent probe of mining abuses
abroad
* Voice concern at murder, disappearances of indigenous
females
By Stephanie Nebehay
GENEVA, July 23 (Reuters) - A United Nations watchdog urged
Canada on Thursday to investigate alleged human rights abuses by
its mining companies abroad and launch an inquiry into the high
number of missing and murdered indigenous women and girls.
The U.N. Human Rights Committee examined Canada's record in
upholding civil and political freedoms as part of a regular
review of seven countries during its four-week session.
The committee of 18 independent experts voiced concern about
"allegations of human rights abuses by Canadian companies
operating abroad, in particular mining corporations, and about
the inaccessibility to remedies by victims of such violations".
It gave no specific examples, but Canadian companies are
active across the globe from Papua New Guinea to Eritrea and the
Democratic Republic of Congo.
The U.N. body urged Canadian authorities to "consider
establishing an independent mechanism with powers to investigate
human rights abuses by such corporations abroad".
"One major concern by the committee was the murdered and
missing indigenous females, women and children," committee
vice-chair Anja Seibert-Fohr told a news briefing.
"We have found that these indigenous females are
disproportionately affected by violence."
Activist groups, in a paper submitted to the body, said:
"Violence against Aboriginal women and girls in Canada is a
problem of massive proportions, and its manifestation in British
Columbia is particularly pronounced."
Between 2005 and 2010, the Native Women's Association of
Canada documented more than 600 cases of missing and murdered
Aboriginal women and girls throughout Canada over 30 years and
more cases have been recorded since, they said. Yet police often
dismissed reports of missing native women, some of whom were
prostitutes or drug users with transient lifestyles.
"We are still missing information about real investigations
and the prosecution," Seibert-Fohr said.
"Therefore we asked (Canada) to urgently address this issue
of these murdered and missing indigenous women and we proposed
some measures, for example a national inquiry into this
phenomenon but also a review of the relevant legislation."
The committee voiced concern at reports of native people
losing their land rights and the cost of litigation for
indigenous peoples. It urged Canada to "resolve land and
resources disputes with indigenous peoples and find ways and
means to establish their titles over their lands with respect to
their treaty rights."