Canadian Tribute to Human Rights, Human rights monument in downtown Ottawa, Canada

The Canadian Tribute to Human Rights stands over thirty feet high at Lisgar and Elgin streets, built of red granite and concrete to Melvin Charney's design. Its red granite facade carries the first sentence of Article One of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights in English and French, while anthropomorphic figures behind the facade hold plaques reading Equality, Dignity and Rights.

The monument opened in 1990 as the first global memorial dedicated to universal human rights. A commemorative plaque was unveiled there in 1998 to honor John Peters Humphrey, who drafted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Words like Equality, Dignity, and Rights appear in 73 Indigenous languages from Canada on granite plaques throughout the structure. This linguistic diversity shows how different communities understand and express human rights concepts.

The monument sits at a central intersection, making it easy to reach and visible from multiple angles. It serves as a natural gathering place for public events and demonstrations.

The monument stands on land originally belonging to the Algonquin people, and its 1990 unveiling opened with a ceremonial introduction by Algonquin elder William Commanda before the Dalai Lama walked through the archway. In November 1988 the ground was broken by two young people, Cheryl Tooshkenig and Megan Balciunas, with Mayor Jim Durrell and town crier Daniel Richer present.