The Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise (CORE) launched her first investigations in July and has since announced several more. Nike Canada, Dynasty Gold, Ralph Lauren, Walmart Canada, Hugo Boss Canada, Diesel Canada and Levi Strauss & Co. Canada are currently being investigated for possible links to the brutal forced labour system reportedly being imposed by China on Uyghurs and other Turkic ethnic minorities.
These companies are only a portion of those named in complaints submitted to the CORE. Many other firms incorporated in or importing goods into Canada are accused of profiting from China’s forced labour program, and several face claims of human rights abuses in other regions. So far, complaints deemed admissible have been linked to the garment and mining sectors.
The federal government created the CORE in 2019 following over a decade of civil society advocacy calling for a credible, independent ombudsperson to investigate Canadian business activity linked to human rights abuses abroad. Unfortunately the office was created without the powers needed to carry out effective investigations, a key part of its mandate alongside offering mediation.1 The CORE has no authority to compel companies to provide documents or testimony, despite an initial government promise that the office would have these powers. In fact, there’s no obligation on companies to engage with the CORE at all.
With the CORE now moving to investigate some complaints, it’s more important than ever that she be given the powers to investigate effectively. Accomplishing this should be an immediate focus for Parliament, and it wouldn’t be difficult to do. A bill that would overhaul the office and grant these powers, the Responsible Business Conduct Abroad Act (Bill C-263), has already been tabled.
Given several complaints still in the pipeline, the CORE may continue to announce investigations in the coming weeks and months. We will update the information below as details of new complaints or investigations are announced and as existing investigations conclude.
Workers picking cotton. Complaints to the CORE allege that several Canadian companies’ supply chains include cotton or other goods produced using forced labour in China.
Overview of cases brought to the Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise
Number of complaints submitted as of June 30, 2023: 312
Number deemed admissible: 16
Number that the CORE has begun to investigate: 7
Cases under investigation
Ordered by date of initial assessment report
Nike Canada
∙ Complainant(s): a coalition of 28 Canadian organizations3
∙ Allegation under investigation: “that Nike Canada Corp. has supply relationships with several Chinese companies that the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) identified as using or benefiting from Uyghur forced labour.”
∙ Date complaint submitted: June 21, 2022
∙ Date investigation announced: July 11, 2023
∙ Company’s engagement with the CORE as of July 11, 2023: Limited. See details here in Part 4, paragraph 27.
∙ For details, see the CORE’s initial assessment report.
Dynasty Gold (“DYG”)
∙ Complainant(s): a coalition of 28 Canadian organizations3
∙ Allegation under investigation: “that DYG’s mining operations in northwest Xinjiang, China use or benefit from Uyghur forced labour.”
∙ Date complaint submitted: June 21, 2022
∙ Date investigation announced: July 11, 2023
∙ Company’s engagement with the CORE as of July 11, 2023: Very limited. See details here in Part 4, paragraph 34.
∙ For details, see the CORE’s initial assessment report.
Ralph Lauren Canada (“RLCLP”)
∙ Complainant(s): a coalition of 28 Canadian organizations3
∙ Allegation under investigation: “that RLCLP has supply relationships with companies that use or benefit from Uyghur forced labour.”
∙ Date complaint submitted: June 21, 2022
∙ Date investigation announced: August 15, 2023
∙ Company’s engagement with the CORE as of August 15, 2023: Very limited. See details here in Part 4, paragraph 38.
∙ For details, see the CORE’s initial assessment report.
Walmart Canada
∙ Complainant(s): a coalition of 28 Canadian organizations3
∙ Allegation under investigation: “that Walmart Canada has commercial relationships with Chinese companies identified as using Uyghur forced labour.”
∙ Date complaint submitted: June 21, 2022
∙ Date investigation announced: August 24, 2023
∙ Company’s engagement with the CORE as of August 24, 2023: Limited. See details here in Part 4, paragraph 28.
For details, see the CORE’s initial assessment report.
Hugo Boss Canada
∙ Complainant(s): a coalition of 28 Canadian organizations3
∙ Allegation under investigation: “that Hugo Boss Canada Inc. has a supply relationship with a Chinese company that the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) has identified in its report Uyghurs for Sale as using or benefiting from Uyghur forced labour.”
∙ Date complaint submitted: June 21, 2022
∙ Date investigation announced: August 24, 2023
∙ Company’s engagement with the CORE as of August 24, 2023: Very limited. See details here in Part 4, paragraph 26.
∙ For details, see the CORE’s initial assessment report.
Diesel Canada
∙ Complainant(s): a coalition of 28 Canadian organizations3
∙ Allegation under investigation: “that Diesel Canada’s supply chain uses or benefits from Uyghur forced labour.”
∙ Date complaint submitted: June 21, 2022
∙ Date investigation announced: August 24, 2023
∙ Company’s engagement with the CORE as of August 24, 2023: Very limited. See details here in Part 4, paragraph 30.
∙ For details, see the CORE’s initial assessment report.
Levi Strauss & Co. Canada
∙ Complainant(s): a coalition of 28 Canadian organizations3
∙ Allegation under investigation: “that Levi Strauss has commercial relationships with a Chinese company that is identified as using Uyghur forced labour — Jiangsu Guotai Guosheng.”
∙ Date complaint submitted: June 21, 2022
∙ Date investigation announced: September 20, 2023
∙ Company’s engagement with the CORE as of September 20, 2023: Very limited. See details here in Part 4, paragraph 33.
∙ For details, see the CORE’s initial assessment report.
Other cases for which information is publicly known
Mark’s Work Wearhouse / Canadian Tire
∙ Complainant(s): United Steelworkers (USW) and the Canadian Labour Congress
∙ Allegation: that Mark’s, a subsidiary of Canadian Tire, has failed “to ensure workers in its supplier factories are paid living wages.” (Source: USW press release)
∙ Date complaint submitted: November 22, 2022
∙ Status: deemed admissible and under “initial assessment” as of December 31, 2022
∙ For details including company response, see Globe & Mail coverage.
GobiMin
∙ Complainant(s): a coalition of 28 Canadian organizations3
∙ Allegation: “that GobiMin has been implicated in Uyghur forced labour through exploration work carried out at its Sawayaerdun mine in Xinjiang, China.”
∙ Date complaint submitted: June 21, 2022
∙ Date recommendations published: August 15, 2023
∙ Company’s engagement with the CORE as of August 15, 2023: Active. See details here in Part 4.
∙ Decision: “The CORE has decided not to launch an investigation, but to provide recommendations to GobiMin on their responsible business conduct abroad.”
∙ For details, see the CORE’s initial assessment report.