Canadian separatists have defended their position by stating that ‘this is a democracy’. However, U.S. intervention puts Canadian and separatist democracy at high risk.
When a Head of State says, “I don’t need international law”[i] everyone should take that as a serious threat, as international law promotes and protects both democracy and human rights. Because they are inter-related and inter-dependent, when one suffers, so does the other.
Democracy and Human Rights
International law is the law that governs relations between different nation States. But it is also what protects every person through countless invisible mechanisms in the form of human rights and fundamental freedoms, which some Canadians may take for granted. International law is the collective result of decades of democratic debate and decisions made by representatives from nations around the world. But when the New York Times asked Trump about his limits, he responded “only” his “own morality”[ii], meaning that he will answer to no one, not even an international court of law.
At the World Conference on Human Rights in 1993 the Vienna Convention and Programme of Action was adopted. Article 1 of the Convention states that “Human rights and fundamental freedoms are the birthright of all human beings; their protection and promotion is the first responsibility of Governments.”[iii]
The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights (OHCHR) explains the link between democracy and human rights further.
Democracy as a form of government is a universal benchmark for human rights protection; it provides an environment for the protection and effective realization of human rights. Today, after a period of increased democratization around the world, many democracies appear to be backsliding. Some Governments seem to be deliberately weakening independent checks on their powers, suffocating criticism, dismantling democratic oversight and ensuring their long-term rule, with negative impact on people’s rights.[iv]
A comparison of human rights structural indicators
The United Nations Office of the Human Rights Commissioner provides insights into the international legal commitments of each Member State. The following is a table is of 18 core international human rights treaties, and their ratification status by Canada versus that of the United States.
| International Human Rights Treaties | U.S.A. | Canada |
|---|---|---|
| International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD) | ✓ | ✓ |
| International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) | ✓ | ✓ |
| International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) | ✓ | |
| Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) | ✓ | |
| Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CAT) | ✓ | ✓ |
| Convention on the Rights of the Child | ✓ | |
| Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities | ✓ | |
| International Convention for the Protection of all Persons from Enforced Disappearance | ||
| International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families | ||
| Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights | ✓ | |
| Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, aiming at the abolition of the death penalty | ✓ | |
| Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Right | ||
| Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women | ✓ | |
| Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment | ||
| Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict | ||
| Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography | ✓ | ✓ |
| Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on a communications procedure | ||
| Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities | ✓ | |
| (Table – Comparison of ratified treaties_Canada vs US_2026) |
Source: United Nations Human Rights – Office of the High Commissioner:
Status of ratification – interactive dashboard https://indicators.ohchr.org/
What is an Optional Protocol? An optional protocol is a treaty that is linked to an existing binding human rights treaty. In most cases the Optional Protocol provides for a mechanism where the consenting State will allow an inquiry or investigation into alleged violations of the human rights linked to that treaty.
In some Optional Protocol cases, such as the CEDAW, the consenting party agrees to a procedure where individuals or groups can file complaints to the corresponding human rights treaty body, if they have exhausted domestic remedies.
In other cases, the Optional Protocol addresses a substantive issue from the original treaty; this is the case with the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, aiming at the abolition of the death penalty.
Canada has ratified thirteen out of eighteen international human rights treaties and implemented them into the domestic legal order in good faith. In comparison the United States has ratified only five – fewer than Cuba, China, Somalia, Iran, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, India, Pakistan, Myanmar and others.[v]
Notably, the United States has not ratified the Optional Protocol to abolish executions, and the death penalty is still being used. Following a botched execution by lethal injection in October 2026, the U.S. announced an execution by firing squad to be used on a different prisoner. The United States Pentagon planned for the execution to be publicly live streamed, contrary to Article 16 of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CAT), which the U.S is a Member Party to. The United Nations condemned the public nature of the execution, with a UN Spokesperson adding that “Failure to respect this prohibition would inevitably render the execution arbitrary in nature, and result in a violation of the right to life and the absolute prohibition of torture.”[vi] Facing international and domestic pressure the publicly accessible live streaming of the execution was cancelled, though not the execution itself.
In November 2025 the United Nations Human Rights Council adopted a resolution citing a lack of cooperation from the United States for boycotting the Universal Periodic Review of their human rights performance.[vii] The review is mandatory for all UN Member States making this is clear affront to international human rights law. This is also self-evident through multiple attacks on both domestic and foreign human rights.
The consequences of separation on human rights
If Canada or one of its provinces loses its status as a sovereign subject under international law the legal effect would be withdrawal from its human rights treaties. Therefore, separatism poses a threat to the human rights and fundamental freedoms of Albertans and Canadians alike. To clarify, if Canada or one of its provinces is annexed/succeeded by the United States, the people on the annexed territory become a part of the U.S. Consequentially, they lose claim to the human rights once held under Canada’s agreements, which the United States is not itself also legally obligated to. This is the rule of international law according to the Vienna Convention on Succession of States in respect of Treaties, Article 15. The extent of to which human rights will be upheld by the United States, however, is increasingly uncertain.
The decline of democracy and the rise of autocracy
Independent research institutes including Varieties of Democracy Institute (V-Dem)and International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) – have developed systems to measure democracy; V-Dem Institute uses global data sets with over 32 million data points. Countries are ranked according to their scores and categorized as liberal democracy, electoral democracy, democratic grey zones, autocratic grey zones, electoral autocracy and closed autocracy. Both organizations have featured the United States recently in special reports.
V-Dem’s Democracy Report 2026: Unraveling the Democratic Era? found that “Within one year, the USA’s LDI (Liberal Democracy Index) score has declined by 24%; its world rank dropped from 20th to 51st place out of 179 nations. The level of democracy on the LDI is dwindling to 1965 level – the year that most regard as the start of a real, modern democracy in the USA.”[viii]
According to the Global State of Democracy 2026 Report by International IDEA “the scale of what is happening in the US is unprecedented and prompts a closer look at what seems to be the fastest evolving episode of autocratization the USA has been through in modern history.”[ix]
Using global datasets it was determined that “The USA experienced four factor-level declines, including in Free Political Parties, Effective Parliament, Access to Justice, and Judicial Independence. It also saw declines in the subfactors of Freedom of Expression, Freedom of the Press, and Economic Equality. Except for Free Political Parties, US scores on these measures are at their lowest levels since 1975 (see case study 3.1 for a detailed look at changes in the USA).”
Comparatively, Canada ranks 23rd globally in the 2025 Liberal Democracy Index; the United States ranked 51st.[x]
International IDEA warns that “US President Donald Trump has made statements that indicate an interest in territorial acquisition in Canada, Greenland, and Panama. As described in case study 3.1, democratic decline in that country appears to be linked to an increased willingness to violate international norms and aggressively (and unilaterally) pursue narrow foreign policy goals.”[xi] The report acknowledges the strong correlation between declines in democracy and inclines in violent conflicts.
“Trump ran an openly authoritarian campaign in 2024, pledging to prosecute his rivals, punish critical media and deploy the army to repress protests.”[xii]
International IDEA warns that “During his first day in office President Trump pardoned 1,500 criminals convicted for the January 6, Capitol Hill assault. This was one of the first steps in efforts to undermine legitimacy of courts and the rule of law. By excusing and even celebrating past illegal attacks, President Trump has also given a tacit but clear endorsement of future violence, according to experts.” Thus threats to personal integrity and security are increasing.
Whereas democracy aims to resolve conflicts peacefully, autocracy aims to resolve conflicts by force.
The interrelated and inter-dependent nature of human rights
International human rights law emphasizes the indivisibility and interdependence of human rights. Together they strengthen one another, but in contrast, the erosion of one right can lead to the loss of others. For example, the loss of the right to political participation can in substance mean the loss of the right to vote, which leads to citizens being unable to have a say in matters that concern themselves deeply, such as the right to health, the right to property, the right to work, and the right to privacy.
Similarly, freedom of expression is tied to freedom of assembly, which are rights that trade unionists depend upon heavily. And as the right to freedom of expression is eroded, that entails the right to freedom of information and the right to a free press. But without an independent press free from interference by the State, access to crucial information is impaired, compromising the right to information that belongs to citizens so that they may make informed decisions on matters that concern them.
President Trump’s banning of three news organization from the White House[xiii] in September of 2026 is a dangerous escalation of his war on democracy. The concept of a free press is consistent with Article 19, paragraph 2 of the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights.
“2. Everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression; this right shall include freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of his choice.”
Denying human rights to those who criticize the Executive is in violation of international human rights law.
Balance of powers is essential to democracy
Lack of an independent court system means that human rights may not be enforced, depriving citizens of their right to a fair trial, which can result in loss of the right to liberty. “The judiciary is a key institution that autocratizers attack during autocratization, especially in the early phase. A regime transition necessarily requires that the rule of law is bent in favor of an aspiring autocrat.”[xiv]
Modern democracies protect human rights through various legal mechanisms, including a separation of powers. The Trump administration has been destroying the separation of powers of the executive, the legislature, and the judiciary. With Congress led by a Republican majority that refuses to uphold the Constitution or stand up to President Trump, and the U.S. Supreme Court is stacked with right-wing Trump loyalists, the protection and prevention of human rights is rapidly deteriorating. What will be left when all the power is held by one branch – the executive – will no longer a democracy, but an autocracy.
Government agencies are being hollowed out. “Horizontal accountability – checks and balances – is at the core of republican thinking and liberal democracy. Institutions providing checks and balances are therefore typically among the first targets during autocratization. Serious weakening of accountability is one of the early indicators of regime transition. Replacing civil servants with personal loyalists and allies is one known tactic to achieve this.”[xv]
Autocracy is in the making.
What could Canadians lose?
Canada, if annexed by the United States, would be subject to the same fate as Americans.
Today, Canadians are benefiting every day from international human rights obligations. Once international human rights instruments are ratified their provisions are implemented into the domestic legal order. Individuals in democratic nations enjoy these rights often without realization, which poses a threat to their protection; when effectively implemented they become invisible, especially to younger generations who never knew a time when the rights they enjoy did not exist for many Canadians.
Perhaps the most important to Canadians is the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ECOSOC), which the U.S. is not a Member Party to. This treaty ensures that the government provides such essentials as the right to adequate health care, the right to food, the right to water, the right to adequate housing , the right to safe, healthy, just and favourable work conditions, the right to join trade unions, the right to social security, the right to a reasonable period of paid leave before and after childbirth, the right to child protection against economic and social exploitation, the right to work and earn a living, the right to education, the right to benefit from any scientific, literary, or artistic production of which you are the author, and much more.
The right to health is protected under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), Article 12. Lack of ratification means the United States does not have a public healthcare system comparable to Canada’s.
According to Forbes, medical expenses and loss of work due to illness or injury leads to personal bankruptcy filings for approximately 530,000 Americans per year.[xvi] Studies indicate a clear correlation between medical debt and an increase in housing stability, “which may, in turn, worsen health for adults carrying medical debt.” [xvii]
Furthermore, on the first day that President Trump took office in 2025, he withdrew the United States from the Constitution of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Paris Climate Agreement, both of which affect human rights, specifically the right to health. This withdrawal took effect in January of 2026.
According to the U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC) there have been 3,887 confirmed cases of measles as of October 2026.[xix] The CDC is conducting multistate investigations into outbreaks of campylobacter, e. coli, listeria and salmonella[xx] linked to everything from broccoli sprouts to raw milk cheese. In 2025 there were 71,420,721 pounds of food recalled[xxi], according to the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service. The number one reason for recall was for ‘extraneous material’, with 13 recalls totalling 69,619,536 pounds[xxii]. The USDA classified over 71,000,000 pounds of recalled food as Class I – high or medium risk – “this is a health hazard situation where there is a reasonable probability that the use of the product will cause serious, adverse health consequences or death.”[xxiii]
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration experienced significant funding cuts by the Trump administration, at a reduction of $271 million[xxiv], reducing food inspection and safety capabilities. Thus, the U.S. could be found in violation of the right to food (of quality), to the right to health, and even the right to life, where death was caused. Furthermore, illness affects the right to work, resulting in loss of pay.
These stats are just a macroscopic view of the overall health impacts under the Trump administration’s health policies. Healthy living is increasingly challenged by policy-making that puts budget cuts ahead of human rights.
How would women be additionally affected?
The United States has never ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). Canada., however, has not only ratified the CEDAW, but also its Optional Protocol, allowing for individuals or groups of women to file complaints to the UN CEDAW Committee. Furthermore, in 2026 Canada ratified the Inter-American Convention on the Prevention, Punishment and Eradication of Violence Against Women, also known as the Bélem do Pará Convention,[xviii] which entered into effect in 2026. This regional human rights treaty defines violence against women and recognizes its systemic basis. The Convention requires States to condemn violence against women and to implement policies necessary to prevent, punish and eradicate such violence, among other obligations.
Canadians have benefited from the UN human rights treaties for decades, mostly unbeknownst to them unless personally involved in a complaint mechanism or advocacy work. DO NOT TAKE THESE RIGHTS FOR GRANTED. Chose sovereignty. Choose democracy. Choose your rights.
[i] Trump Lays out a Vision of Power Restrained Only by ‘My Own Morality” https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/08/us/politics/trump-interview-power-morality.html?smid=url-share
[ii] Trump Lays out a Vision of Power Restrained Only by ‘My Own Morality” https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/08/us/politics/trump-interview-power-morality.html?smid=url-share
[iii] Vienna Convention and Programme of Action (1993); A/CONF.157/23; https://documents.un.org/doc/undoc/gen/g93/142/33/pdf/g9314233.pdf?OpenElement
[iv] About democracy and human rights; https://www.ohchr.org/en/about-democracy-and-human-rights Visited October 4, 2026.
[v] United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner; Status of Ratification Interactive Dashboard; visited October 4, 2026. https://indicators.ohchr.org/
[vi] Livestreaming US execution would breach prohibition of torture, UN rights office warns; 9 October 2026; UN News Global perspective Human stories. https://news.un.org/en/story/2026/10/1168565
[vii] Human Rights Council reschedules human rights review of the United States of America; regrets “non-cooperation” with UPR mechanism; Nov. 7, 2025. United Nations Office of the Human Rights Commissioner. https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/11/human-rights-council-reschedules-human-rights-review-united-states-america
[viii] Page 33; V-Dem Institute; Democracy Report 2026 – Unraveling the Democratic Era?; published in 2026.
[ix] V-Dem Democracy Report (2025); Box 9. USA – A Democratic breakdown in the making. (pg. 46)
https://v-dem.net/documents/54/v-dem_dr_2025_lowres_v1.pdf
[x] Page 48; V-Dem Institute; Democracy Report 2026 – Unraveling the Democratic Era? published in 2026.
[xi] Page 87, The Global State of Democracy 2026 Report; International IDEA.
[xii] Ibid. Trump 2.0: A (Quasi) Total Attack on the Institutions. Box 9. USA – A Democratic breakdown in the making. V-Dem Democracy Report (2025).
[xiii] Trump says he’s ‘banning’ CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House; by Brian Stelter, updated Sept. 18, 2026; CNN. https://edition.cnn.com/2026/09/18/media/trump-claims-ban-cnn-msnow-politico-white-house
[xiv] Attacks on the rule of law; Ibid. Trump 2.0: A (Quasi) Total Attack on the Institutions. Box 9. USA – A Democratic breakdown in the making. V-Dem Democracy Report (2025).
[xv] Ibid, Page 47. Abolition of accountability institutions; Trump 2.0: A (Quasi) Total Attack on the Institutions. Box 9. USA – A Democratic breakdown in the making. V-Dem Democracy Report (2025).
[xvi] Increasing Burdens Of Medical Debt And Bankruptcy Are Uniquely American; by Joshua P. Cohen, Senior Contributor; April 5, 2026. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/joshuacohen/2026/04/05/increasing-burdens-of-medical-debt-and-bankruptcy-are-uniquely-american/
[xvii] Moon KJ, Linton SL, Stuart EA, Galea S, Ettman CK. Housing Instability Following Medical Debt Exposure Among US Adults, 2023 to 2025. JAMA Netw Open. 2026 Jan 2;9(1): e2553617. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.53617. PMID: 41525068; PMCID: PMC12797096. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12797096/
[xviii] https://www.oas.org/juridico/english/treaties/a-61.html
[xix] Measles Cases and Outbreaks; CDC Measles (Rubeola); Measles cases in 2026; last updated October 2, 2026.
[xx] CDC; Current Outbreaks: Investigations; https://www.cdc.gov/foodborne-outbreaks/outbreaks/ Visited Oct. 7, 2026.
[xxi] Summary of Recall and PHA Cases in Calendar Year 2025; https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/recalls-public-health-alerts/annual-recall-summaries/summary-recall-and-pha-cases-2
[xxii] Recalls by Reason (N=42) https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/recalls-public-health-alerts/annual-recall-summaries/summary-recall-and-pha-cases-2
[xxiii] USDA Recall Classifications https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/recalls-public-health-alerts/annual-recall-summaries/summary-recall-and-pha-cases-2
[xxiv] FY 2026 President’s Budget Summary; FDA U.S. Food & Drug Administration; https://www.fda.gov/media/186731/download
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