The Government of Canada, from December 12, 2013 to January 8, 2014, invited Canadians to share their views on Canada’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Strategy Review. The CNCA called for the implementation of a comprehensive corporate accountability framework.
- Provide an effective means for victims of corporate abuse relating to Canadian extractive companies operating overseas to seek redress in Canada, including by creating an independent extractive-sector Ombudsman, legislating access to Canadian courts and ensuring respect of the right of Indigenous peoples to free, prior and informed consent;
- Include mandatory accountability mechanisms, such as the recent commitment by the federal government to institute mandatory disclosure requirements for payments to governments by extractive companies;
- Include robust and transparent mechanisms that condition Canadian government support received by extractive companies on respect for human rights and environmental sustainability;
- Ensure that Canadian extractive companies pay their fair share of taxes and royalties (both in Canada and abroad) and include a commitment to combatting the financial secrecy afforded by tax havens, which are used extensively by Canadian extractive companies;
- Incorporate a real commitment to instituting multi-stakeholder dialogue initiatives on corporate accountability issues and include meaningful opportunities for Canadian civil society organizations and the Canadian public to provide input into Canadian policy on CSR.
To see CNCA’s full submission to the review process, please click here.
