Communication

Montréal Creates Charter of Rights and Responsibilities

Montréal, May 25, 2005 - Mayor Gérald Tremblay announced the Montréal Charter of Rights and Responsibilities, which puts citizen rights and responsibilities in writing and entrusts the Ombudsman de Montréal with the task of intervening in the event of a disagreement. The Montréal Charter, which has already received the executive committee's approval, will be presented for adoption by the municipal council on June 20th following a notice of motion to the municipal council on May 30th. Once the charter is adopted, Montréal will be the first Canadian city to have a Charter of Rights and Responsibilities, joining the European movement that gave birth to the Charte européenne des droits de l'Homme dans la ville. The charter is set to come into effect on January 1st, 2006. The transitional period prior to its implementation will be used to inform the citizens and provide City employees with training.

"The Montréal Charter of Rights and Responsibilities sets out the concrete commitment that the city and its employees have made to continually improve the services offered to the population. It acknowledges common values shared by Montrealers and facilitates our city's harmonious development," stated Mayor Tremblay.

The Montréal Charter project was set in motion at the Sommet de Montréal Summit. The task force for democracy, implemented after the summit, oversaw its realization. The Montréal Charter of Rights and Responsibilities, which had benefited from contributions by several experts, was the subject of a vast public consultation in 2004.

A Guide

Since it clearly sets out citizen rights and responsibilities, the Montréal Charter guides relations between the citizens and the city, thus acting as an important conflict prevention and resolution tool. The rights and responsibilities are established in broad municipal intervention spectrums: (1) democratic life, (2) economic and social life, (3) cultural life, (4) leisure, physical activity and sports, (5) environment and sustainable development, (6) security and (7) municipal services.

The Montréal Charter of Rights and Responsibilities is in the form of a municipal by-law of its own right and is implemented throughout the city of Montréal. In addition to the city and its boroughs, it affects paramunicipal bodies, companies controlled by the city, public officials and employees or people carrying out tasks for the city. The Montréal Charter will have a major impact on the municipal service culture, where it will be widely broadcast to ensure its application beforehand.

Moreover, the Montréal Charter of Rights and Responsibilities is different from other charters that seem to be simple statements, because it imposes an obligation of results on the Montréal administration by granting the ombudsman the power to investigate, mediate and make public recommendations for all complaints based on its content. The ombudsman will also save a special section in his/her annual report dedicated to his/her intervention based on the Charter.

"In addition to bringing citizens, elected officials and the municipal administration closer together, the new Charter will help improve the quality of the services offered to the population. Montréal is giving itself an essential tool to build a future on a foundation of values such as openness, respect, solidarity, transparency and democracy that inspire us," concluded Mayor Tremblay.