In this letter to The Hill Times, we question Export Development Canada's claim that it's improving the social performance of companies it supports by “leveraging its financial relationship,” and call for legal reforms to ensure accountability.
When allegations emerged last fall that the Mexican president’s 2012 election campaign was funded in part by a subsidiary of Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht, the news barely made headlines in Canada. But this development in the Odebrecht scandal should give us pause, because it raises crucial questions about the anti-corruption and disclosure policies of our export credit agency.
As the push for corporate accountability faces setbacks in the United States, could Canada hold the key for legislative progress in North America on business and human rights? In this guest post on the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre website, we discuss how Canada can emerge as a leader in this rapidly evolving field.
For years, the Canadian government has spoken of its “expectation” that Canadian companies will meet the “highest ethical standards” when operating abroad. It’s time to create a mechanism capable of finding out if this expectation is in fact being met.
Last November’s massive mine spill in the state of Minas Gerais was Brazil's worst environmental disaster. Export Development Canada provided one of the mine's joint venture owners, Brazilian multinational Vale, with hundreds of millions of dollars in financing for its global operations. Canadians shouldn't bankroll the next foreign mine disaster, argues Above Ground's director in an opinion piece published today in Embassy.
Your contribution allows us to pursue our work holding companies to account.
Donate