Secrétariat International Permanent, Droits de l'Homme et gouvernements Locaux Nantes Pays de la Loire, France

Logo SPIDH
Home - The Charter-agenda - Similar Experiencies - Montréal Charter of Rights and Responsibilities

Montréal Charter of Rights and Responsibilities

The Montréal Charter of Rights and Responsibilities


The Montréal Charter of Rights and Responsibilities, in force since January 1, 2006, is the result of an extensive public consultation process.


The Montréal Charter covers the main sectors of municipal activity: democracy, economic and social life, cultural life, recreation, physical activities and sports, environment and sustainable development, security and municipal services.


The Charter establishes the principles of rights and responsibilities, and the collective effort of citizens and the city will ensure the respect of the rights stated therein.


The Montréal Charter designates Montréal’s ombudsman to promote solutions when citizens and the city disagree on issues based on its content.


The Montréal Charter is the first of its kind adopted by a major Canadian city.


Download the Charter


The Montréal Charter on the International Scene

Since its adoption, the Montréal Charter of Rights and Responsibilities has aroused much interest on the international scene.

In 2006, at the UN-HABITAT World Urban Forum III held in Vancouver, UNESCO and UN-HABITAT highlighted the merits of the Montréal Charter within the framework of their work on urban policies, inclusion, Right to the City and local democracy.

In Europe and in South America, the innovative Montréal Charter was mentioned at international conferences on Human Rights in the City, Participative Democracy, and Democratic Innovations in Cities.

The Montréal Charter was also one of the reference documents for the Global Charter-Agenda for Human Rights in the City project.