CNCA – RCRCE

Press release: Civil society groups and MPs denounce the elimination of the Office of the Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise (CORE)

Aidan Gilchrist-Blackwood — Thu, 18 Jun 2026 16:30:00 +0000

Ottawa – Last Thursday, Prime Minister Carney announced the elimination of the Office of the Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise (CORE), leaving communities and workers who allege serious human rights abuse by Canadian companies at significant risk of further harm.

Today, the Canadian Network for Corporate Accountability (CNCA), a network of over 40 non-profit organizations, unions and faith groups, whose combined membership includes over 3 million Canadians, denounces this decision and stands firmly in solidarity with victims of human rights and labour rights abuse linked to the activities of Canadian companies around the world. CNCA members were joined by Members of Parliament Heather McPherson and Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay in speaking out.

“When the CORE was first created in 2018, the government announced it would have much-needed independent investigatory powers, as human rights groups and hundreds of thousands of individual Canadians across the country advocated for,” said Aidan Gilchrist-Blackwood, CNCA Network Coordinator. “These commitments were abandoned soon after, and the office was later left to languish for over two years without a permanent leader. We demand that the government reinstate the office, with the necessary powers to conduct thorough investigations.”

“The government has kept complainants in the dark about the office’s closure, despite deciding on it months ago,” said Diana Martin, co-manager at MiningWatch Canada. “This lack of transparency risks deepening the harm already faced by affected communities.”

“As recently as March 2026, multiple cabinet ministers publicly promoted the CORE as an example of Canada’s commitment to international human rights,” said David Matsinhe, Director of Policy and Advocacy, Amnesty International Canada. “Now, the Prime Minister is justifying the decision to close the office by claiming it is ineffective. The solution has always been to reinforce the office, not eliminate it.”

Additional quotes

The news of CORE's in-camera elimination is deeply unjust to tens of thousands of people, including Canadians who have voiced for corporate accountability for years, and shocking to the petitioners like myself. We have ongoing petitions before the Office, and I had been told that my Reko Diq petition against Barrick was near completion, with the drafting of its Initial Assessment Report already underway. The Prime Minister claimed that this decision was made a few months ago. Yet, despite knowing that we were awaiting updates on our petitions, no one has informed us – which is deeply disturbing.

Lafeef Johar, member of the Human Rights Council of Balochistan and CORE complainant

The government’s decision to eliminate the CORE position is deeply troubling. Workers and communities affected by the actions of Canadian companies abroad deserve a place to seek accountability and justice. The CORE was one of the few mechanisms available to investigate abuses and hear complaints. Canada should focus on upholding its human and labour rights obligations and strengthening corporate accountability, not dismantling it.

Siobhán Vipond, Executive Vice-President, Canadian Labour Congress

The Canadian government recently claimed the CORE is a key component of its strategy to combat forced labour in Canada’s supply chains. To then suddenly eliminate the office risks misleading the Canadian public, our trading partners and—most importantly—the victims of human and labour rights abuses who sought the CORE’s assistance.

Karen Hamilton, Director, Above Ground

Under the pretext of combating forced labor in the context of the CUSMA negotiations, the elimination of the Ombudsperson position does nothing to advance that objective. It is shocking that the Canadian government is using civil society’s calls to strengthen this mechanism as a justification for dismantling it. At a time when large corporations wield increasing power and can violate rights and destroy the environment with impunity around the world, there is a pressing need for effective and binding mechanisms and laws that hold them accountable for all human rights violations they commit.

Amélie Nguyen, Coordinator, Centre international de solidarité ouvrière (CISO)

To eliminate the CORE is to eliminate the voice of over 500,000 Canadians who called for its establishment over more than 10 years of campaigning. Canada can do better.

Luke Stocking, Director of Public Engagement, Development and Peace—Caritas Canada

For media inquiries please contact:

Aidan Gilchrist-Blackwood
Network Coordinator, Canadian Network for Corporate Accountability
agilchristblackwood@cnca-rcrce.ca
1-438-872-0401

Notes to editors

In comments to the media, the Prime Minister suggested the functions of the CORE will be replaced by newly-introduced forced labour legislation tabled last week following threats of new tariffs by U.S. President Donald Trump. This bill is entirely separate from the CORE. The CORE was mandated to investigate allegations of human rights abuse by Canadian companies operating overseas, while bill C-35 aims to strengthen enforcement of Canada`s ban on the import of goods produced with forced labour.

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Media advisory: MPs, civil society to speak on “elimination” of the Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise

Aidan Gilchrist-Blackwood — Wed, 17 Jun 2026 21:26:48 +0000

Civil society organizations and Members of Parliament will address the media regarding the government’s announcement that it will be “eliminating” the Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise.

When: Thursday, June 18, 12pm

Where: Room 135-B, West Block, 111 Wellington Street, Ottawa, Ontario

Speakers include:

Heather McPherson, MP, Edmonton-Strathcona
Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay, MP, Saint-Hyacinthe–Bagot–Acton
Siobhán Vipond, Executive Vice-President, Canadian Labour Congress
David Matsinhe, Director of Policy, Advocacy, and Research, Amnesty International Canada (anglophone section)
Diana Martin, Co-manager, MiningWatch Canada
Kiegan Irish, Advocacy Officer, Development and Peace – Caritas Canada
Aidan Gilchrist-Blackwood, Network Coordinator, Canadian Network for Corporate Accountability (CNCA)

For media inquiries please contact:

Aidan Gilchrist-Blackwood
Network Coordinator, Canadian Network for Corporate Accountability
agilchristblackwood@cnca-rcrce.ca
1-438-872-0401

*Participation in the question and answer portion of this event is in person or via Zoom, and is for accredited members of the Press Gallery only. Media who are not members of the Press Gallery may contact pressres2@parl.gc.ca for temporary access.

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CNCA Denounces the “Elimination” of the Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise

Aidan Gilchrist-Blackwood — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 19:15:35 +0000

June 12, 2026 — The Canadian Network on Corporate Accountability (CNCA) strongly denounces the Government of Canada’s recent decision to eliminate the Office of the Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise (CORE). In our view, this represents an abandonment of basic human rights principles, leaving communities and workers who allege serious human rights abuse by Canadian companies at significant risk of further harm.

During a press conference, Prime Minister Carney justified the government’s decision by pointing to criticism of the CORE’s ineffectiveness, a concern raised by Canadian civil society groups since the earliest days of the office. Yet the solution has always been to reinforce the office, not eliminate it.

When the CORE was first created, the government announced it would have much-needed independent investigatory powers, as human rights groups and tens of thousands of individual Canadians across the country advocated for. These commitments were abandoned soon after, and the office was later left to languish for over two years without a permanent leader. It appears the CORE was always set up to fail.

We are also shocked to learn that the government made this decision “months ago”. To our knowledge, this decision was never communicated to the scores of communities and workers who assumed great personal risk to trust the CORE with allegations of human rights abuse linked to Canadian companies, sometimes at the direct encouragement of Canadian government officials. The government’s failure to notify directly-impacted people represents a callous disregard for human life and basic transparency, and is a betrayal of the government’s stated commitment to “Canadian values”. We condemn this in the strongest possible terms.

In comments to the media, the Prime Minister suggested the functions of the CORE will be replaced by new legislation on forced labour, tabled today following threats of new tariffs by U.S. President Donald Trump. We look forward to reviewing the legislation in detail but we note, with deep concern, that this legislation in no way does so. The CORE was mandated to investigate all human rights abuses and provide pathways to remedy, while the forthcoming legislation appears to have neither function. Failure to ensure accountability for all human rights abuses contravenes Canada’s international human rights obligations.

Notes to editors:

In late March 2026, multiple cabinet ministers publicly indicated the CORE was part of Canada’s approach to meeting its international human rights obligations. Foreign Affairs Minister Minister Anand told the Globe and Mail that the office is “important” and indicated the government is looking to fill the position, while Finance Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne cited the CORE as evidence of Canada’s commitment to fighting forced labour.
Various UN human rights bodies welcomed the creation of the CORE and called for its strengthening. In March 2026, the UN Human Rights Committee “underscored its concern about allegations of human rights abuses and environmental harm linked to companies domiciled in Canada or operating under its jurisdiction” while urging the Canadian government to empower the CORE.

For media inquiries please contact:

Aidan Gilchrist-Blackwood, Network Coordinator, Canadian Network for Corporate Accountability
agilchristblackwood@cnca-rcrce.ca
1-438-872-0401

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Media reactive: Feds leave “important” Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise leaderless for a year, complainants remain in limbo

Aidan Gilchrist-Blackwood — Thu, 21 May 2026 10:00:00 +0000

This document is available in PDF format in English and French.

May 21, 2026 – Today marks one year since the one-year mandate of the interim Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise (CORE) ended. Since then, the ombudsperson position has remained vacant, leaving remaining staff unable to move complaints forward.

Complainants, representing communities and workers who have suffered significant harm – and who were encouraged by Canadian officials to trust the CORE, often at substantial risk of retaliation – have been left without answers, despite repeated requests for even basic information about the office’s status.

The office also continues to lack investigatory powers and independence the government promised when the office was first created.

At least 36 complaints are currently awaiting decisions from the CORE, but the office cannot advance complaints until the government appoints a new Ombudsperson.

In March 2026, the United Nations Human Rights Committee (UNHRC) expressed “concern” that the office remained vacant and “regret” at its lack of investigatory powers, citing ongoing allegations of human rights abuse and environmental degradation linked to the activities of Canadian companies abroad, as well as the significant barriers to justice faced by affected communities.

Shortly after the UNHRC report was released, Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand told the media that the office is “important” and that the government is seeking to fill the position. Other ministers have similarly touted the CORE as evidence of Canada’s commitment to fighting forced labour in Canadian supply chains. No further information has been provided since.

Canadians from coast to coast continue to call on the government to act. A parliamentary e-petition on the CORE recently closed and is expected to be tabled in Parliament in the coming weeks.

Quotes

"The impunity of Canadian companies has a devastating cost to the lives and fundamental rights of affected local communities and Indigenous peoples. Canada’s failure to appoint an independent and effective ombudsperson suggests a lack of political will to meet its international human rights obligations and a harmful lack of respect and empathy toward the tens of thousands of people victimized by Canadian companies worldwide."

Lafeef Johar, member of the Human Rights Council of Balochistan and CORE complainant

"At a time when Canada is expanding international partnerships and pursuing new ones, Canadians must insist that companies registered on our shores respect and honour human rights and human dignity wherever they operate. Not only is Canada obligated under international law to ensure that Canadian companies respect human rights at home and abroad, but we must seize the moment to show the world that corporate accountability and respect for rights are at the core of Canada’s business model. Anything less is a betrayal of Canada’s human rights principles."

David Matsinhe, Director of Programs, Advocacy and Research, Amnesty International Canada

"The Canadian government recently claimed the CORE is a key component of its strategy to combat forced labour in Canada’s supply chains. Yet without effective leadership, the CORE is incapable of fulfilling that mandate. By suggesting otherwise, the government is misleading the Canadian public, our trading partners and—most importantly—the victims of human and labour rights abuses who sought the CORE’s assistance."

Karen Hamilton, Director, Above Ground

"We work with communities in Latin American, Africa and Asia-Pacific whose rights have been violated by Canadian mining companies. Some of these community members have already filed complaints that are now languishing in limbo because there is no Ombudsperson, others have indicated to us that they would file a complaint if there was an Ombudsperson. The need for the CORE is well-established – now the government must bring in an independent Ombudsperson."

Catherine Coumans, Co-manager, MiningWatch Canada

For media inquiries, please contact:

Aidan Gilchrist-Blackwood

Network Coordinator, CNCA
438-872-0401
agilchristblackwood@cnca-rcrce.ca

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TAKING STOCK: Accountability and the Overseas Operations of Canadian Multinationals

Aidan Gilchrist-Blackwood — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 16:10:29 +0000

A new CNCA research paper assesses the policy and legal framework in Canada to hold multinational corporations to account for human rights and environmental harms caused overseas. Find the full report in English and in French.

The paper focuses on three key issues: binding standards, an ombudsperson and the state-business nexus. The paper concludes that Canadian policy and legal developments have failed to keep pace with international standards, initiatives in leading jurisdictions and civil society proposals.

Binding standards: While the Canadian government recognizes the value of human rights due diligence, it relies on companies to voluntarily adopt this practice. A government commitment to introduce legislation mandating labour rights due diligence remains unfulfilled.

Ombudsperson: In 2019 the Canadian government created the Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise (CORE). Structural and functional shortcomings undermine the office’s credibility. The ombudsperson post is currently vacant and the office’s future is unclear.

State-business nexus: Canada lacks enforceable mechanisms to condition corporate eligibility for government services on compliance with human rights and environmental norms. The government departments and agencies that support corporations lack transparency regarding their operations and decision-making processes.

To remedy these failings, the Canadian Network for Corporate Accountability calls on the Canadian government to:

implement comprehensive human rights and environmental due diligence legislation. As a first step towards comprehensive legislation, immediately adopt legislation requiring companies to conduct due diligence to prevent forced labour and child labour throughout their supply chains;
publish the results of its 2024 review of the CORE, appoint an ombudsperson and grant the office the independence and investigatory powers required to realize its potential; and
adopt measures that improve transparency regarding the operation of government departments and agencies that provide support to companies, and that condition such support on corporate respect for human rights and the environment.

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From Rana Plaza to today: Why Canada Must Act on Corporate Accountability

Aidan Gilchrist-Blackwood — Fri, 24 Apr 2026 16:41:42 +0000

By Nirvana Mujtaba (Oxfam Canada) & Aidan Gilchrist-Blackwood (Canadian Network For Corporate Accountability)

One of the deadliest industrial disasters of the 21^st century unfolded in 2013, when the Rana Plaza building in Bangladesh collapsed. In a matter of moments, over 1,100 garment workers, most of them young women, lost their lives, and more than 2,500 others were injured. The world watched in horror as images of crushed concrete, trapped bodies, and desperate rescue efforts filled our screens. However, this was not a sudden or unforeseeable tragedy. Cracks in the building had been reported the day before. Workers had voiced their fears. Still, they were told to return to work and were trapped inside the building as it collapsed.

The collapse of Rana Plaza exposed a devastating truth: the global fashion industry, built on the labour of women, was failing them at every level. It revealed a system where fast fashion was prioritized over safe working conditions, where accountability was diffused across borders and where corporations, many based in wealthy countries like Canada, profited from conditions they did little to monitor or improve. Among the revelations was that a Canadian company was sourcing clothing from Rana Plaza, yet lacked sufficient oversight to ensure even the most basic standards of workplace health and safety. Affordable clothing was being subsidized by a devastating human cost.

Since then, international pressure and tireless worker-led organizing have driven some improvements in factory safety, reducing the risk of catastrophic failures in parts of the industry. Yet, health and safety in Bangladesh’s factories remain deeply concerning, as shown by the April 4 fire at a gas lighter factory near Dhaka that left five workers dead. Moreover, safer buildings have not meant fairer working conditions. Workers still face poverty wages, excessive work hours, and intense pressure to meet production targets in an non-unionized environment. Gender-based violence and harassment remain widespread, particularly for the women who make our clothes. The fashion industry may be less visibly dangerous than it was in 2013, but it is far from just.

This pattern is not limited to fashion. Canadian companies continue to operate in ways that harm vulnerable communities both at home and abroad. In the mining sector, Canadian companies have been repeatedly linked to human and labour rights abuses, environmental destruction and the contamination of local ecosystems. Communities have suffered displacement, pollution, and long-term health impacts. These harms continue in part because the rules for companies are weak and accountability is strongly limited.

The harm also extends to global arms trade. Canadian companies export weapons and weapons components that are used in war and conflict zones likely against civilians and in violation of international law, contributing to violence and human rights abuses. These transfers often happen through indirect routes, allowing Canadian companies to avoid scrutiny. Without strong laws, Canada risks being complicit in harm while claiming to stand for human and labour rights.

Canada’s response: more rhetoric than reform

Canada falls far short of meaningfully holding Canadian corporations accountable. Measures such as modern slavery reporting legislation and voluntary corporate social responsibility frameworks have been framed as progress. Yet in practice, they rely heavily on self-reporting, lack enforcement mechanisms, and impose few real consequences for non-compliance. Companies are required to disclose whether or not they have assessed the risks of forced labour in their supply chains – but are not required to actually investigate those risks in the first place, let alone to prevent or remedy harms.

At the same time, oversight of Canadian businesses operating abroad remains weak. The Canadian government “expects” – but does nothing to actually require – Canadian companies respect human rights in their operations abroad.

Mechanisms intended to investigate corporate abuse, including the Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise (CORE) office, have been left to flounder. The government has left the position of CORE vacant for close to a year, meaning the office cannot process complaints and lacks long-promised independence and investigatory teeth. Survivors of labour exploitation, environmental harm, or corporate-linked violence face significant barriers to seeking justice, particularly when abuses occur outside of Canada’s borders. The result is a system where harm is sometimes acknowledged, but rarely addressed in a way that shifts corporate behaviour.

This gap between commitment and action is not incidental – it reflects a broader policy approach that prioritizes narrowly-defined economic interests and voluntary compliance over binding regulation. As long as respect for human rights remains at the discretion of Canadian companies, they can continue to benefit from global systems of exploitation with limited accountability.

What real corporate accountability looks like:

On the 11th anniversary of the Rana Plaza disaster, Canada’s Minister of Labour affirmed that “Canada’s supply chains are far-reaching” and that Canada has “an obligation to every single worker across them”. If Canada is serious about living up to those obligations, it must take decisive action to prevent the harms that continue to be linked to Canadian corporations, such as labour rights violations, extractive industry exploitation, and weapons exports which fuel growing human rights abuse. This means moving beyond voluntary and reporting-only approaches and adopting a mandatory human rights due diligence law. Such a law would require companies to actively identify, prevent, and address human rights and environmental risks throughout their global operations and supply chains – not simply report on whether or not they have bothered to look.

To be effective, such legislation must include strong enforcement mechanisms. Companies that fail to meet their obligations should face meaningful penalties, including fines and potential civil liability. Furthermore, affected communities and workers must have clear pathways to seek remedy in Canadian courts, regardless of where the harm occurred. Without access to justice, accountability remains incomplete.

The government of Canada must:

1. Adopt human rights and environmental due diligence legislation. Canadian civil society has developed a model law which the government could table at any time.

1. Appoint a new Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise, and empower the office with real independence and robust investigatory powers

More than a decade after the Rana Plaza tragedy and amid ongoing harm by various Canadian businesses, the question is not whether we have learned , but whether Canada will finally act.

The lives lost should have marked a turning point, a moment to say clearly that no job, no product, no profit is worth a human life. And yet, from factories to mines to conflict zones, similar patterns of exploitation persist – often hidden and too often ignored.

Canada has the power to do better. It has a duty to do better. Without bold action – as called for by directly-impacted people and by Canadians standing in solidarity from coast to coast – Canada will continue to be complicit in serious human rights violations, and risks contributing to future tragedies like Rana Plaza.

Add your voice to the call for a strong corporate accountability law: https://cnca-rcrce.ca/take-action.

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UN Human Rights Committee “underscores its concern” with human rights abuse by Canadian companies

Aidan Gilchrist-Blackwood — Wed, 25 Mar 2026 20:38:15 +0000

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.

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You’re invited! The CNCA’s 20th anniversary party

Aidan Gilchrist-Blackwood — Wed, 04 Mar 2026 21:35:38 +0000

Where: Spark Beer & Pizza, 702 Somerset St W, Ottawa, ON K1R 6P6
When: Wednesday, April 29, 5pm

Please join us for an evening of reflection and celebration as we mark 20 years of collective Canadian advocacy for corporate accountability. Over food and drinks, we will look back on how civil society campaigns and grassroots movements have challenged harmful government policies and corporate practices, and explore how we can organize together to confront the global polycrisis, reclaiming our power as citizens, workers and communities in the face of an increasingly influential corporate lobby.

We will be joined by special guest speaker Nora Loreto.

Spaces are limited. Please RSVP here to confirm your participation.

Accessibility note: Spark Beer is a wheelchair-accessible space. Simultaneous interpretation will be offered between English and French.

About the CNCA: Since July 2005, the Canadian Network for Corporate Accountability has united Canadian civil society organizations standing in solidarity with workers and communities harmed by Canadian corporate activity around the world. Our members include human rights, faith, grassroots solidarity and environmental advocacy groups, trade unions and international development organizations, collectively representing over 3 million Canadians, who advocate together for policy and law reform in Canada.

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February 17: National Day of Action to Close the Loopholes

Aidan Gilchrist-Blackwood — Wed, 11 Feb 2026 22:33:56 +0000

From Israel’s genocide in Gaza, to shocking and racist violence by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, to Sudanese paramilitaries accused of massacres, Canadian weapons have been found fueling serious human rights abuses around the world.

The Canadian government enables this violence through a “US loophole” in our arms export laws, which exempts weapons and weapons components shipped to the United States from human rights risk assessments. All too often, these weapons are then linked to serious abuses by US actors or shipped onwards to third countries.

Important new legislation has been introduced to close the US loophole. The legislation will soon come to a vote in the House of Commons. On February 17th, CNCA members will join a country-wide movement in a national day of action calling on MPs from all parties to support the No More Loopholes bill.

Our network unites more than 40 Canadian civil society organizations working to hold Canadian corporations accountable for human rights, labour, and environmental abuses around the world. The choice is clear: for Canada to finally live up to its international human rights obligations, it must take action to end corporate impunity and close the US loophole.

Learn more, and take action, at: https://armsembargonow.ca/nomoreloopholes/.

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CNCA testifies in Parliamentary study on forced labour in supply chains, urges government to advance human rights due diligence

Aidan Gilchrist-Blackwood — Mon, 24 Nov 2025 15:34:30 +0000

November 20, 2025 – In testimony today to Parliament’s Standing Committee on International Trade, representatives of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, Canadian Labour Congress, Canada-Tibet Committee, and Canadian Network for Corporate Accountability urged the government to take strong action against forced labour in Canadian supply chains, as well as other serious abuses of human rights, labour rights, and environmental destruction linked to the global operations of Canadian companies.

Speaking as witnesses to the committee’s study of “forced labour, supply chains, and related imports”, the four organizations each urged Canada to adopt comprehensive mandatory human rights and environmental due diligence legislation. Such legislation would require Canadian companies and importers to prevent human rights abuse throughout their supply chains and would help ensure forced workers and people experiencing other human rights abuses have access to remedy in Canadian courts. The CNCA has developed model legislation, based on the consensus recommendations of Canadian civil society organizations and endorsed by hundreds of organizations in Canada and around the world.

With Parliament considering measures to strengthen Canada’s forced labour import ban, CNCA recommended any such measures be accompanied by a firm and time-bound commitment to comprehensive due diligence legislation, which would complement and reinforce the import ban. For example, import bans address harm after it has occurred, while due diligence legislation helps prevent harm in the first place. We further urged the government to closely engage with rights-holders in the development of any regulations under the import ban, to avoid unintended consequences that could negatively impact vulnerable workers.

Finally, CNCA recommended that the government’s approach to addressing forced labour in supply chains include a clear commitment to adequately staffing and empowering the Office of the Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise, an office with considerable potential that has been hamstrung by the government’s failure to provide independent investigatory powers and effective resourcing. The office has already received a significant number of forced-labour related cases.

A recording of the committee meeting can be viewed here.

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