The following letter, signed by over 100 academics and legal experts, was sent today to the prime minister calling for Canada to adopt a strong corporate accountability law.
The draft model law would require Canadian firms to respect human rights throughout their global operations and supply chains.
The Canadian government is seeking input on its “feminist foreign policy.” We’ve joined with other civil society groups aiming to foster rigorous public discussion and enagement in the process, for instance by proposing core principles that would define a truly feminist approach to foreign policy.
Canadian businesses, civil society, labour and government are looking for the best path forward to prevent and eliminate adverse human rights impacts in the global operations and supply chains of companies based in Canada and/or doing business in Canada. Above Ground and 34 other civil society groups have proposed a series of consensus starting points as a basis for further dialogue.
Today all fourteen civil society and labour union members of the government’s responsible business advisory body resigned, citing an erosion of trust in the government’s commitment to corporate accountability.
Fifteen months ago, the government announced it would create an independent office with the power to investigate abuses by Canadian companies operating abroad. Instead, it unveiled today a powerless advisory post, little different from what has already existed for years.
In this submission to the UN special rapporteur on racial discrimination, we call attention to the role that multinational companies’ home states can play in facilitating extractive projects that harm ethnic minorities.
The Canadian Network on Corporate Accountability says the government must immediately implement the recommendations of a UN report that calls for a coherent policy to protect against business-related human rights abuse.
Above Ground and other members of the Canadian Network on Corporate Accountability provided the UN working group on business and human rights with input during its 2017 country visit to Canada. This submission provides the working group with complementary and updated information in anticipation of the release of its Canada visit report.
Above Ground works to ensure that companies based in Canada or supported by the Canadian state respect human rights and the environment worldwide. It is a project of MakeWay, a national charity that builds partnerships and solutions to help nature and communities thrive together.
Above Ground c/o MakeWay
400-163 West Hastings Street
Vancouver, BC V6B 1H5
438-992-5163
