National Day for Truth and Reconciliation 2026

On September 30, 2026, Cooperation Canada will join people across the country in observing the sixth National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Our offices will be closed so that our team can participate in activities, reflect on the truths of Canada’s colonial past and its ongoing consequences, honour the lives, cultures and knowledge of First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples, and consider how each of us can contribute to advancing reconciliation.

The effects of colonialism remain present in the systemic barriers, dispossession and injustices experienced by Indigenous Peoples. National Day for Truth and Reconciliation calls on us to remember these truths, listen to Indigenous voices and examine how our own institutions and practices must change.

Yet, progress remains far too slow. Eleven years after the Truth and Reconciliation Commission released its 94 Calls to Action, and seven years after the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls issued its 231 Calls for Justice, many remain unimplemented. Reconciliation remains an unfulfilled promise—and a shared responsibility that demands sustained and meaningful action.

This responsibility is especially relevant for organizations engaged in international cooperation. Commitments to human rights, equity and locally-led approaches must also shape how we understand and respond to colonialism within Canada. This means respecting Indigenous rights and self-determination, valuing Indigenous knowledge, building relationships based on reciprocity and ensuring Indigenous Peoples can meaningfully influence decisions that affect them.

In this context, building on the work undertaken through our Code of Ethics, which integrates Indigenous perspectives and formalizes our collective commitment to decolonization, reconciliation and the advancement of justice, we remain deeply committed to advancing this work across our organization and broader community.

This commitment has taken different forms. At the Ottawa Civic Space Summit, partnerships and sessions centred Indigenous leadership and created space for conversations about reconciliation. Through our Indigenous Rights and Reconciliation Working Group, we have brought members together to learn, reflect and explore how reconciliation can be advanced through their organizations and work. We have also continued examining how Indigenous perspectives and governance practices can inform the work of our Board, while members of our team volunteered with Minwaashin Lodge, an Indigenous women’s support centre in Ottawa, as part of our holiday activities.

Looking ahead, reconciliation must extend beyond statements and shape how institutions govern, share power and build relationships. It requires humility, accountability and a willingness to change. Cooperation Canada remains committed to supporting our members on this journey by creating trusted spaces for dialogue and collective learning, amplifying Indigenous perspectives, sharing evidence and practical tools, and encouraging stronger policies and organizational practices.

Notes to Editors

• Cooperation Canada is the national voice for Canadian international development and humanitarian organizations. Representing over 100 organizations, we convene, coordinate and advocate for effective, inclusive and accountable international cooperation that contributes to a fairer, safer and more sustainable world.
• Members are invited to join the Indigenous Rights & Reconciliation Working Group’s Harvesting and Learning session on October 15, 2026, from 2:00 to 3:30 p.m. ET. Grounded in Indigenous protocol, the online session will offer space to reflect on learning through practice, dialogue and action, and to explore relational approaches to evaluation. Register here.

Media Contact

Gabriel Karasz-Perriau, Senior Communications Manager
gkaraszperriau@cooperation.ca
(514) 945-0309