New, First Nations-led guidance sets baseline expectations for Reconciliation Action Plans in B.C.

xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil Waututh)/Vancouver, June 19, 2026 — As companies across British Columbia adopt Reconciliation Action Plans (RAPs), a new paper from the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs (UBCIC), developed in collaboration with the Reconciliation and Responsible Investment Institute (RRII) and West Coast Environmental Law (WCEL) sets the baseline expectations for companies to credibly call a plan a “RAP”.

RAPs are forward-looking documents used by organizations to articulate their commitments to reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples. As RAP development has accelerated in recent years, particularly following the 2021 discovery of unmarked graves at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School, a lack of oversight, standards and accountability mechanisms in British Columbia has raised concerns among Indigenous leaders and investors.

The paper, titled Baseline Expectations and Good Practices for the Development and Assessment of the Reconciliation Action Plans (RAPs) of Companies in British Columbia, provides practical guidance to improve how RAPs are designed and implemented, and ensure they include meaningful action and accountability.

The paper was supported by Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs (UBCIC) Resolution 2024-46, and informed by engagements with First Nations rightsholders, organizations, and allies, which identified challenges and opportunities in the current RAP landscape in Canada, and aimed to understand their expectations for RAP development processes, such as alignment with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UN Declaration) through integrating Indigenous values, principles and frameworks.

The paper outlines five priority areas: truth-telling, education, Indigenous rights and rightsholder engagement, economic reconciliation, and environmental stewardship. It also sets expectations for non-extractive engagement, including opt-in participation, fair compensation, long-term relationship building and accountability mechanisms such as ongoing feedback and grievance processes.

“Reconciliation cannot be performative. Far too often, we see commitments that are unclear or disconnected from the title and rights, laws, and lived realities of our people,” said Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, UBCIC President. “This framework establishes a path forward that reflects the expectations of First Nations and centres Indigenous voices, values, principles, and frameworks, and provides companies with clear expectations for how to demonstrate real, measurable action grounded in meaningful engagement with Indigenous peoples and alignment with the principles affirmed in the UN Declaration.”

“Companies and investors are looking for clear direction on what meaningful reconciliation looks like in practice,” said Joseph Bastien, Associate Director and Maada’ookii, Inclusive Economy at SHARE, the Shareholder Association for Research and Education, which provides secretariat support to the RRII. “This guidance helps close that gap by defining what strong, credible RAPs should include, and by reinforcing that commitments must be backed by action, transparency and accountability.”

The rapid growth of RAPs in B.C. and across Canada has underscored the need for consistent, Indigenous-led standards, and this paper provides companies in British Columbia with a new tool to ensure that First Nations voices, values, principles and frameworks are incorporated into their RAPs.

For more information, or to arrange an interview, contact Adam Burns, Manager, Communications at SHARE at [email protected].

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Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs

UBCIC is a First Nations political advocacy non-profit organization formed in 1969. UBCIC is mandated to work towards the implementation, exercise, and recognition of our inherent title and rights, and treaty rights, and to protect our lands, waters and resources through the exercise and implementation of our own laws and jurisdiction. UBCIC strives to uphold the principles and standards articulated in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples for the establishment and maintenance of a universal framework of minimum standards for the survival, dignity, well-being, and rights of Indigenous Peoples. We have, and we continue to, carry out this mission in a number of ways. For more information on UBCIC, visit ubcic.bc.ca.

Reconciliation and Responsible Investment Institute

The Reconciliation and Responsible Investment Institute (RRII) is an independent, Indigenous-led non-profit organization that mobilizes institutional investors to use their capital and influence to promote Indigenous economic reconciliation, including developing vibrant Indigenous economies and realizing positive economic outcomes for Indigenous Nations and businesses. For more information on RRII, visit rrii.org.

West Coast Environmental Law (WCEL)

West Coast Environmental Law (WCEL) is a non-profit group of environmental lawyers, strategists and communicators dedicated to safeguarding the environment through law. Since 1974, we have successfully worked with communities, non-governmental organizations, the private sector and all levels of government, including First Nations governments, to develop proactive legal solutions to protect and sustain the environment. For more information on WCEL, visit www.wcel.org.

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