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.
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.
The Hill Times recently published two letters from Above Ground about federal government policy on extractive companies working abroad—a topic that’s seen revived media coverage in the past two months.
Letter from Karyn Keenan, published May 11 in The Hill Times
Re: “Let courts, mediators decide on mining disputes abroad: Lobby group,” (The Hill Times, April 27, p. 1). It comes as a surprise to read that the president of Canada’s mining association is unclear on what role an ombudsman could play in the oversight of extractive companies’ impacts abroad.
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
