The UN sent a letter to Quebec about Bill 21. What does it mean?

One of the United Nations human rights observers who raised concerns aboutQuebec's proposed secularism law says whileit's"premature" to discuss theimpact of Bill 21on Quebec society, it comes at a time of increased intolerance against minorities around the world.

Fernand de Varennes, the UN's special rapporteur on minority relations, is one of three high-ranking human rights monitors who sent the letter delivered to the National Assembly through diplomatic channelslast week.

De Varennes, originally from Saint-Paul, N.B.,was elected by the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC)in July 2017, after serving as the dean of law at Universit de Moncton.

In an interview with CBC News Friday, de Varennessaid a number of human rights groups in Quebec brought their concerns about Quebec's proposed legislation to restrict the wearing of religious symbols to the UNHRC's attention.

• UN human rights observers warn Quebec about secularism bill

"How minorities are perceived and treated in daily life, in many parts of the world, concerns me hugely," said de Varennes in a phone interview from Dublin, Ireland.

"We are seeing an increase in not only intolerance but manifestations of hate speech against minorities."

At legislative hearings earlier this month, human rights groups lined up to criticize the bill, saying it woulddivide Quebecers and exclude minorities from public service disproportionately affecting Muslim women who wear a religious headscarf, or hijab.

Since the advent of the bill, Muslim women in Quebecsay they have seen a spike in incidents of harassment.

• At the mall, on the bus: Muslim women say racist incidents are now part of daily life
• Quebec lawmakers told secularism bill will institutionalize discrimination, stoke Islamophobia

Reminder of international human rights agreement

The special rapporteurs are concerned about the law's potential todiscriminateagainst certain people seeking government services,as well as those working in public positions of authority who are targeted by the bill.

Theirletteralso raised the concern that the government fails todefine what a "religious symbol" is, leaving it up to potentially harmful interpretation.

De Varennes explained thatwhen special rapporteurs receive allegations that a government may be breaching human rights, they analyze the information and decide whether it is serious enough to send a letter of concern.

"In this case we concluded that these [potential human rights violations] were serious enough to approach the government of Canada in relation to the legislation in Quebec," he said.

The letter is a kind of warning, but the UNHCR doesn't have the power to force the government to act on it. It serves as a reminder to a state of the various international human rights covenants it has signedand agreed to adhere to.

If we want these rules to apply to everyone then we have to continue reminding governmentsaround the world that they have moral obligations.- Fernand de Varennes, UN Special Rapporteur on minority relations

The UNHRCis in charge of applying theInternational Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), a treaty signed by more than 150 countries.

Canada signed that covenantin 1976 meaning Quebec must also comply withit.

The letter also compels the government receiving the letterto respond to the concerns raised.

After a government responds, de Varennes said, the rapporteursmay "take a position as to whether we consider there is a violation or not."

"If we want these rules to apply to everyoneand I think we agreed that there has to be some kind of respect for human rights around the worldthen we have to continue reminding governments, all of them, around the world that they have moral obligations.They have international obligations," de Varennes said.

"This is where we really need to work so that those who are most vulnerable are protected."

A spokesperson for the Quebec lawmaker overseeing the bill, Immigration Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette, said he had received the letter and was "analyzing it in detail."

"The government of Quebec is proud of Bill 21," thespokesperson said in astatement. "It is pragmatic, applicable and moderate. It reflects the consensus of the majority of Quebecers."

RCMP and France mentioned in letter

The letter of concern about Bill 21 also notes other circumstances inwhich the UNHRChas warned governments about the risk of violating fundamental rights, including freedom of religion.

For example, the UNHRCwas alerted to the case of Baltej Singh Dillon, an aspiring RCMP officer and a religious Sikhwho was prevented from wearing a turban by the force in 1988.

• The turban that rocked the RCMP: How Baltej Singh Dhillon challenged the RCMP and won

Singh Dillon fought for the right to wear his religious headgear,and two years later, the Brian Mulroney government announced changes to the RCMP dress code that included the freedom for observant Sikhs to wear beards and turbans.

The rapporteurs' letter also mentions thelacitlaw in France enacted in the early 2000s thatprevents female Muslim students at public schools from wearing the hijab or other religious garments.