Declaration Act Secretariat

The Declaration Act Secretariat supports the Province in the implementation of all sections of the Declaration Act. The Secretariat is a central agency within government and was announced in Budget 2022.

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In 2022, the B.C. Government established the Declaration Act Secretariat, a central agency within government that guides and supports the implementation of the Declaration Act across the B.C. government. Originally, the Secretariat focused on ensuring provincial laws align with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UN Declaration) and are developed in consultation and co-operation with Indigenous Peoples, as set out in Section 3 of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (Declaration Act).

Since spring 2025, the Secretariat has held all sections of the Declaration Act, providing advice and coordination for the Province in the following areas:

  • Sections 6 and 7 allow for flexibility for the Province to enter into agreements with a broader range of Indigenous governments and to exercise statutory decision-making authority together.​
  • Section 3 mandates the government to bring provincial laws into alignment with the UN Declaration.
  • Section 4 requires the Province to develop and implement an action plan, in consultation and co-operation with Indigenous Peoples, to meet the objectives of the UN Declaration.
  • Section 5 requires regular reporting to the legislature to monitor progress on the alignment of laws and implementation of the action plan, including tabling annual reports by June 30 of each year.
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Declaration Act
Secretariat Leadership

Meet the Declaration Act Secretariat

Aaron Brown

Executive Director, Economics and Finance

Aaron Brown is the Executive Director supporting the Finance and Economics sector at the Declaration Act Secretariat.

Aaron’s ancestry is North-Western European and Indigenous: he is a member of the Misipawistik Cree Nation (Grand Rapids) in Northern Manitoba.

Aaron has worked for fifteen years in the B.C. Public Service, holding a variety of senior management roles across four ministries. Most recently, Aaron worked at the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure where he designed and developed the Passenger Transportation Accessibility Program which improves transportation services and experiences for the accessibility community. Prior to this, Aaron worked at the Treasury Board Secretariat and the Ministry of Children and Family Development.

In addition to helping to implement the Declaration Act across the B.C. Public Service, Aaron is interested in creating strategy and vision, assessing complex policy, and managing projects.

Aaron holds a Bachelor of Commerce Degree from the University of Victoria. He lives with his wife and two children (aged two and four so life is busy!) on the traditional territory of the Lekwungen people (known today as the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations) in Victoria, B.C. and is grateful to live, work and play there.

Headshot of Aaron, who has short hair, a short full beard, and is lightly smiling at the camera.

Jackie Demerse-Abbasi

Executive Director, Social Justice and Policing

Jackie was born and raised on Treaty 4 territory in Saskatchewan, home of the Cree, Saulteaux, Nakota, Lakota, Dakota, and homeland of the Métis.  She holds a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) and Masters in Public Administration from the University of Regina, and PhD (abd) from the University of Western Ontario specializing in multi-level governance, public policy, and Canadian politics.  Jackie has a diverse background in both the public and academic sectors.  Over the years, she has taught graduate and undergraduate courses in local government, public administration, and strategic planning.  Most recently, Jackie held the role of Director of Indigenous Economic Development at the Ministry of Trade and Export Development with the Government of Saskatchewan. Prior to this, she was the Director, then Acting Executive Director of the Status of Women Office and Senior Legislative Analyst with the Ministry of Government Relations.

Jackie has worked collaboratively with Indigenous communities, organizations and people on files spanning economic reconciliation, gender equity and gender-based violence including MMIWG2S+. And, as the daughter of a Sixties Scoop survivor, understands the cumulative impact of colonial policies and importance of connection/re-connection to community and Indigenous ways of knowing and being. She is married with two boys under the age of six and is grateful for the opportunity to live, work and play on the traditional territories of the Lekwungen speaking peoples, the Songhees and Esquimalt First Nations, in Victoria B.C.

Grey-scale headshot of Jackie, who has long dark hair with highlights and is lightly smiling at the camera.

Yimmie Sonuga

Executive director, Natural Resources

Yimmie is the Executive Director supporting Natural Resource Sector ministries at the Declaration Act Secretariat. After closely following the development and subsequent enactment of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (Declaration Act), she joined the BC Public Service to support efforts to implement it. 

Since joining the BC Public Service, she has held a number of policy and legislation senior leadership roles. During her tenure, she has worked to build internal capacity around requirements under the Declaration Act and led several policy and or legislative initiatives. This includes the development of reconciliation-focused amendments to the Wildlife Act and the drafting of the Anti-Racism Act, 2024, which was developed in consultation and cooperation with Indigenous Peoples and engagement with racialized communities.  

Prior to her time in B.C., she most recently worked in Alberta, where she successfully led the development and implementation of public policy and legislation in a variety of sectors such as transportation, economic development, innovation, advanced education and Crown agency oversight. To her role, Yimmie brings a relationship-centred approach and significant provincial and international leadership experience in strategic development, change leadership, legislation, policy, legal counsel, regulatory affairs, and governance, gained in public, private, and non-profit spheres. She has a Bachelor of Commerce degree from University of Alberta and an honours law degree from the London School of Economics and Political Science. 

She is humbled to now live, work and play on the beautiful traditional territory of the lək̓ʷəŋən speaking Peoples (known today as the Esquimalt and Songhees Nations). In her spare time, she enjoys creative pursuits and living an active outdoor lifestyle.