A new advance unedited report from the United Nations Human Rights Committee (UNHRC) raises alarm with “continued allegations” of human rights abuse and environmental destruction linked to Canadian companies abroad,“in particular mining corporations,” as well as the barriers to justice faced by victims of abuse. Among dozens of urgent issues studied by the Committee, business and human rights are one of just two themes from Canada’s human rights record that the Committee underscores in its press release.
The Committee urged Canada to strengthen its mechanisms to ensure our companies respect human rights and to ensure access to effective judicial and non-judicial remedies for people harmed by Canadian corporate activity. Reviewing Canada’s current mechanisms to address allegations of abuse by Canadian companies, it highlighted its concern that the government has left the position of Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise (CORE) vacant since May 2025, and that the office still lacks independent investigatory powers.
The Committee further emphasized that arms produced by companies under Canadian jurisdiction have reportedly reached conflict zones and contributed to “serious violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law”.
In order to comply with our international human rights obligations, the UNHRC recommended Canada take the following legislative and policy actions:
- Consider adopting binding legislation requiring business enterprises to conduct human rights due diligence;
- “Urgently” appoint a new CORE;
- Ensure the independence of the CORE and provide it with adequate human and financial resources so it can carry out its mandate effectively;
- Ensure that the Ombudsperson is granted strengthened investigative powers, including the authority to compel witnesses and the production of documentary evidence;
- Strengthen its efforts to prevent, address and mitigate the adverse human rights impacts of arms transfers and exports, including by reviewing and where necessary, revising its legislation and administrative framework, and reinforcing human rights due diligence procedures.
The serious issues raised in this report reflect the longstanding concerns of international human rights bodies and Canadian civil society. For decades, UN institutions have highlighted reports of human rights abuse by Canadian companies around the world and have called on Canada to ensure access to remedy for directly-impacted people. Canadian civil society, working in solidarity with directly-impacted workers and communities around the world, calls on our government to urgently adopt the measures above and has developed model legislation our government is encouraged to adopt.
