The Advisory Body will help the Government determine the Ombudsperson’s mandate and investigative procedures. Its role will be to advise the government on the effective implementation and further development of its laws, policies and practices addressing the social responsibility of Canadian companies operating abroad, in particular with the creation of new laws and regulations. The Advisory Body will comprise experts in civil society and industry and will report to the Minister of International Trade. Multi-stakeholder Advisory Body on Responsible Business Conduct If a company refuses to cooperate in the process, the Ombudsperson can recommend denial or withdrawal of certain Government services (e.g., trade advocacy support and the financial support of Export Development Canada) as an interim measure or as a final recommendation.
The process for submitting a complaint will include an appeals process to ensure that companies accused of abuses are treated in a clear, predictable and transparent manner.Īs part of the Ombudsperson’s mandate and investigative powers, he/she will among other things have the ability to: This person will operate with a budget that allows him/her to conduct independent investigations, be appointed through an order-in-council that will determine the specifics of the mandate and the related responsibilities and carry out his/her duties full-time for a term of up to five years.įor the moment, based on the information provided by the Government, we do not know if complaints can be submitted from other countries or only from Canada. The Ombudsperson’s mandate will be to investigate allegations of human rights abuses arising from Canadian corporate activity abroad. In the meantime, here are the highlights.Ĭanadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise
The Government will soon be clarifying how these entities will operate. These initiatives are founded on the Government’s commitment to advance human rights by supporting Canadian companies in operating responsibly and improving access to remedy for alleged human rights abuses arising from Canadian company operations abroad.
On January 17, 2018, the Government of Canada (Government) announced two new initiatives to strengthen Canada’s approach to responsible business conduct for Canadian companies operating abroad, namely, the creation of an independent Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise (Ombudsperson) and a multi-stakeholder Advisory Body on Responsible Business Conduct (Advisory Body).
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