The Canadian Government Walking Back Commitment to Establish Independent Corporate Human Rights Watchdog (CORE)
April 20th, 2021
Justice For All Canada calls on the Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise (CORE) to stand by its commitment to establish an independent office with legitimate powers to investigate corporate human rights abuses, such as unethical and unlawful practices, labour abuses, and destruction of livelihoods and the environment.
A 2019 report was made public last month by the Canadian Network on Corporate Accountability, which revealed that the government would not give CORE the promised ability to enact mandatory human rights due diligence (MHRDD) legislation. This disappointing decision failed to deliver on the government’s years-long commitment to give CORE, a human rights watchdog office, some teeth.
The impact of CORE operating without real power simply means ineffective methods in place for holding Canadian corporations accountable for harmful actions and practices committed abroad.
The Federal Government also recently announced a budget increase for the office of CORE.
“More money doesn’t offer solutions to ethnic Uighur Muslims illegally detained in the same northwestern region of China where publicly-traded Canadian companies operate,” explained Taha Ghayyur, Executive Director of Justice For All Canada.
“The only thing that can fix this situation is if the Government actually followed through with their announcement in 2018, which stated that CORE would be given the independent ability to investigate complaints with the provided tools they need to gather information,” said Ghayuur.
“Increased funding does not change CORE’s inability to gather evidence, documents or testimony needed to hold companies accountable,” he added.
CORE is a Global Affairs office responsible for handling dispute resolution, however, it lacks the resources, power or authority to deal with allegations of human rights abuses.
Soon, the office of the CORE will begin accepting overseas human rights complaints. However, being without the promised power to investigate, it cannot meaningfully protect impacted communities. Global communities who live under persecution and marginalization will continue to be harmed by Canadian corporations if the government does not switch CORE’s voluntary mechanisms with real tools for accountability.
Justice For All Canada calls on the Canadian Federal leaders below to recognize that Canadians are demanding an Ombudsperson with indictment powers, and mandatory human rights due diligence.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
Minister of Small Busines, Export Promotion and International Trade Mary Ng
Foreign Affairs Minister Marc Garneau
Minister of International Development Karina Gould
Justice For All Canada calls on the Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise (CORE) to stand by its commitment to establish an independent office with legitimate powers to investigate corporate human rights abuses, such as unethical and unlawful practices, labour abuses, and destruction of livelihoods and the environment.
A 2019 report was made public last month by the Canadian Network on Corporate Accountability, which revealed that the government would not give CORE the promised ability to enact mandatory human rights due diligence (MHRDD) legislation. This disappointing decision failed to deliver on the government’s years-long commitment to give CORE, a human rights watchdog office, some teeth.
The impact of CORE operating without real power simply means ineffective methods in place for holding Canadian corporations accountable for harmful actions and practices committed abroad.
The Federal Government also recently announced a budget increase for the office of CORE.
“More money doesn’t offer solutions to ethnic Uighur Muslims illegally detained in the same northwestern region of China where publicly-traded Canadian companies operate,” explained Taha Ghayyur, Executive Director of Justice For All Canada.
“The only thing that can fix this situation is if the Government actually followed through with their announcement in 2018, which stated that CORE would be given the independent ability to investigate complaints with the provided tools they need to gather information,” said Ghayuur.
“Increased funding does not change CORE’s inability to gather evidence, documents or testimony needed to hold companies accountable,” he added.
CORE is a Global Affairs office responsible for handling dispute resolution, however, it lacks the resources, power or authority to deal with allegations of human rights abuses.
Soon, the office of the CORE will begin accepting overseas human rights complaints. However, being without the promised power to investigate, it cannot meaningfully protect impacted communities. Global communities who live under persecution and marginalization will continue to be harmed by Canadian corporations if the government does not switch CORE’s voluntary mechanisms with real tools for accountability.
Justice For All Canada calls on the Canadian Federal leaders below to recognize that Canadians are demanding an Ombudsperson with indictment powers, and mandatory human rights due diligence.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
Minister of Small Busines, Export Promotion and International Trade Mary Ng
Foreign Affairs Minister Marc Garneau
Minister of International Development Karina Gould