The United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) has called on Canada to repeal its controversial “Track 2” Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) program. This policy allows euthanasia for individuals who are not terminally ill, raising serious concerns from human rights advocates and disability groups.
Track 2, introduced in 2021, permits assisted death for individuals experiencing suffering from a medical condition but whose natural death is not reasonably foreseeable. Last year, approximately 4% of all euthanasia cases in Canada fell under this category. The rapid growth of the program has prompted scrutiny from international and domestic observers, who argue that vulnerable populations are at risk of being pushed toward death instead of receiving care.
The UNCRPD expressed particular concern for disabled Canadians being steered into MAID under Track 2, warning that the program may be driven by ableist assumptions. These include the belief that living with a disability is inherently a life of suffering, an idea strongly condemned by disability advocates and Christian organizations. The committee urged Canada to establish a federal watchdog agency to investigate complaints and monitor the ethical implications of the program.
Health Canada dismissed the UN’s recommendations, defending Track 2 and stating that current safeguards are sufficient. Officials claimed patients are fully informed of alternatives to relieve their suffering and insisted the program protects individual autonomy. However, critics maintain that expanding euthanasia access while offering limited support for those with disabilities or mental health challenges undermines real choice.
University experts, Christian advocacy groups, and medical ethicists pointed to the report as a credible rebuke of Canada’s MAID policies. One Canadian professor warned that dismissing these concerns as merely religious or conservative opposition fails to recognize the UN’s role as an independent human rights body.
Christian research group Cardus welcomed the UN’s findings and urged political leaders to heed the recommendations. They called for the repeal of Track 2, the halt of further expansion to mental illness and mature minors, and the creation of robust supports for vulnerable Canadians, including Indigenous communities.
In contrast, the pro-euthanasia group Dying with Dignity Canada rejected the UN report, accusing it of misinterpreting data and advancing flawed logic. They argued that restricting MAID would deny individuals with disabilities the right to autonomy and choice, and instead advocated for broader social reforms like housing and healthcare improvements.
The debate continues as Canadians weigh the moral, medical, and legal implications of offering death as a solution to suffering for those who are not dying.
