In this letter, Above Ground urges the Ecuadorian government to respect the rights of the Shuar indigenous nation, which opposes mining activity linked to Canadian-registered companies in its territory. We also express our solidarity with NGO Acción Ecológica, a long-time ally of the Shuar people.

In this letter, Above Ground joins more than 20 organizations in calling on the Canadian government to establish a public registry of the beneficial owners of companies and trusts. By taking this action, Canada will show national and global leadership in efforts to curtail the use of anonymous companies to hide tax evasion, money laundering, fraud and business activities that undermine basic human rights.

A government process established in 2000 to advance responsible multinational business conduct is failing to prevent or remedy human rights abuse by Canadian companies operating overseas, according to a report released today by Above Ground, MiningWatch Canada and OECD Watch.

Since 2000, Canada has maintained a National Contact Point (NCP) responsible for promoting multinational companies’ adherence to guidelines for responsible business conduct developed by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). This report assesses the NCP’s performance to date, particularly with regard to harm prevention and access to remedy.

The Canadian Network on Corporate Accountability released today detailed model legislation, providing the Canadian government with a blueprint for how to create an effective human rights ombudsperson in the extractive sector.

A lawsuit filed against Canadian company Nevsun Resources is set to proceed in Canadian courts. The case involves allegations that the company used slave labour at its mine in Eritrea. In a ruling released today, the Supreme Court of British Columbia rejected Nevsun’s argument that Eritrean courts would be a more appropriate forum for the claim.