Canadian Network on Corporate Accountability - RCRCE

L’Union européenne a adopté une directive historique exigeant que les entreprises respectent les droits humains et l’environnement dans leur chaîne de valeur.

Le Canada continue de permettre aux entreprises de violer les droits humains en toute impunité.

Alors que l’Europe approuve une directive historique en matière de diligence raisonnable, le Canada continue de permettre aux entreprises de violer les droits humains en toute impunité | CNCA - RCRCE Un jalon crucial sur le plan de la reddition de compte des entreprises a été franchi aujourd’hui lorsque l’Union européenne a adopté la directive sur le devoir de vigilance des […]

The European Union passed a landmark directive requiring companies to respect human rights and the environment in their value chains.

Canada continues to allow companies to violate human rights with impunity.

As Europe approves landmark due diligence directive, Canada continues to allow companies to violate human rights with impunity | CNCA - RCRCE A crucial corporate accountability milestone was reached today when the European Union voted to adopt the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD). The directive requires companies to identify and address […]

Budget 2024 renews government’s commitment to introduce legislation in 2024 “to eradicate forced labour from Canadian supply chains”.

CNCA is urging government to deliver on its commitment by introducing strong legislation to end corporate abuse.

Budget 2024 renews government’s commitment on legislation to end forced labour in supply chains | CNCA - RCRCE For the second year in a row, the federal budget has renewed the government’s commitment to introduce legislation in 2024 “to eradicate forced labour from Canadian supply chains and to […]

Le budget fédéral 2024 a renouvelé l’engagement du gouvernement à présenter un projet de loi en 2024 « pour éradiquer le travail forcé des chaînes d’approvisionnement canadiennes. »

Le RCRCE exhorte le gouvernement à remplir ses engagements en présentant un projet de loi solide pour mettre fin aux abus des entreprises.

Le Budget 2024 renouvelle l’engagement du gouvernement à légiférer pour mettre fin au travail forcé dans les chaînes d’approvisionnement | CNCA - RCRCE Pour la deuxième année consécutive, le budget fédéral a renouvelé l’engagement du gouvernement à présenter un projet de loi en 2024 « pour éradiquer le travail forcé des chaînes d’approvisionnement canadiennes […]

Our member organization CoDevelopment Canada is hiring!

Here's another chance to join our staff team!

Passionate about social justice & Latin America ?
Speak Spanish?🗣️

As CoDev's acting Executive Director providing parental leave coverage, you'll be working for social change in the Americas🌎

✅Generous vacation, benefits
✊🏾Unionized with CUPE Local 1004
🎯Apply by May 10

Details at https://codev.org/job-posting

CoDevelopment Canada is a Vancouver-based non-profit that has been working for social justice in Latin America and Canada for 39 years. We build solidarity-based partnerships between trade unions and civil society organizations in Canada and Latin America to protect and advance workers’ rights, foster gender equity, strengthen public education, engage Canadians in global issues, and promote fair trade.

CUPE SCFP CUPE BC BC Teachers' Federation (BCTF) Vancouver & District Labour Council Centrale des syndicats du Québec (CSQ) Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation (OSSTF) Health Sciences Association of British Columbia Hospital Employees' Union Capacidad BCGEU BCGEU International Solidarity Committee CUPE Nova Scotia Federation of Post-Secondary Educators Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation (OSSTF) United Nurses of Alberta Surrey Teachers' Association BC Council for International Cooperation Cooperation Canada Canadian Network on Corporate Accountability - RCRCE

Don't miss this important webinar today at 2pm ET!

📢 Join us on April 4 for an exciting Earth Month event with special guest, David Boyd, the UN's Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and the Environment, in conversation with courageous Ecuadorian women defenders of the right to a healthy environment.

Opening words by Amnesty Canada’s Secretary General Ketty Nivyabandi.

🔗 Register now at bit.ly/Canada-Ecuador-FTA

Il ne reste plus que quelques jours pour postuler!

Nous sommes à la recherche d’une personne visionnaire faisant preuve de leadership et de motivation pour occuper le poste de directrice ou directeur.

Date limite de candidature : Lundi 1er avril.

Le RCRCE recrute ! Offre d'emploi : Directrice ou Directeur | CNCA - RCRCE Le RCRCE est à la recherche d’une personne visionnaire faisant preuve de leadership et de motivation pour occuper le poste de directrice ou directeur. Opérant au sein d’une petite équipe et travaillant dans un environnement collaboratif sous la supervision du comité directeur du RCRCE, la di...

Only a few days left to apply! We are seeking a highly motivated and visionary leader to fill the position of Director.

Deadline to apply: Monday, April 1.

CNCA is hiring! Job posting: Director | CNCA - RCRCE The CNCA is seeking a highly motivated and visionary leader to fill the position of Director. Operating within a small team and working in a collaborative environment under the supervision of the CNCA Steering Committee, the Director provides strategic leadership to advance CNCA’s advocacy mandate...

Nous embauchons! Le RCRCE est à la recherche d’une personne visionnaire faisant preuve de leadership et de motivation pour occuper le poste de directrice ou directeur.

La date limite pour postuler est le 1er avril 2024.

Le RCRCE recrute ! Offre d'emploi : Directrice ou Directeur | CNCA - RCRCE Consultez le PDF de cette offre d’emploi en français ou en anglais. Titre du poste : Directrice ou directeur Salaire : 80 000 $ – 85 000 $ en fonction […]

CNCA is hiring! We are seeking a highly motivated and visionary leader to fill the position of Director.

Deadline to apply: April 1.

CNCA is hiring! Job posting: Director | CNCA - RCRCE See also a PDF of this job posting in English and in French. Position Title: DirectorSalary: $80,000 – 85,000 based on experience and qualifications Including access to a health care […]

"Polling from 9 EU countries has shown that over 85% of citizens are in favour of rules to hold corporations responsible for their adverse human rights and environmental impacts. During the EU legislative process over 100,000 EU citizens have signed a petition demanding a strong and ambitious EU CSDD Directive. ... While the CSDDD primarily targets large companies, its current text ensures that the potential negative effects on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are mitigated. ... Despite opposition from a few large national trade associations, the CSDDD has garnered overwhelming backing from major industry alliances such as the Responsible Business Alliance, AMFORI, and European Brands Association (AIM). This demonstrates widespread recognition of the importance of immediate adoption for the legislation’s effectiveness in promoting corporate responsibility and ensuring fair competition. German and Nordic businesses respectively have come out calling for the passage of the trilogue deal." Europe needs the corporate sustainability due diligence directive. And so do victims of corporate human rights and environmental abuse around the world.
https://corporatejustice.org/news/takeaways-event-confronting-the-disinformation-on-the-csddd-separating-fact-from-fiction/

"The federal government has announced a review of the watchdog it created to police corporate wrongdoing linked with human-rights violations abroad, as Ottawa faces criticism for the office’s lack of completed investigations," reports Tavia Grant in The Globe & Mail. To assess the CORE's “effectiveness and progress to date,” the government should consult with those who have filed complaints, about their experiences with the office, and with affected community members who have opted not to file a case. The CORE needs the powers to compel testimony and documents in order to be effective. For now, not a single review has been completed, and there is not any indication that the situation on the ground has been improved for any complainants to the office.

Ottawa promises a review of its overseas corporate watchdog and its effectiveness The federal government created the watchdog to police corporate wrongdoing, but is now facing criticism for the office’s lack of completed investigations

Vital reforms that Canada could adopt right away to fight forced labour in supply chains | Above Ground New investigations are highlighting once again the rampant use of forced labour globally. We’re working with civil society partners to urge immediate action by countries like Canada to halt and prevent this abuse.

Le Canada, premier pays au monde à financer l'exploration minière, doit adopter une loi sur le devoir de diligence raisonnable afin que les entreprises canadiennes soient tenues responsables des conséquences de leur présence à l'étranger, a dit l'enquêteur sur le respect des droits humains Elvin Hernández, en conférence de presse avec le RCRCE, Développement et Paix, et en présence de Robert McCorquodale, Vice-président du Groupe de travail des Nations unies sur la question des droits de l’homme et des sociétés transnationales et autres entreprises.

[Reportage] Minières et droits de la personne au Honduras : dénonciation et imputabilité | RCI Le Canada doit rendre compte de ses actions à l'étranger, selon un chercheur hondurien de passage au pays.

Join us in person or online on 24 October for a Lunch & Learn with human rights investigator Elvin Hernandez and Professor Robert McCorquodale, Vice-Chairperson of the United Nations Working Group on Business and Human Rights. Learn about harms linked to Canadian companies in Central America, and global developments in corporate accountability, including links between corporate accountability and climate justice, and their relevance to Canada.

Upcoming Event: Lunch and Learn with Elvin Hernandez and Robert McCorquodale, 24 October 2023 On Tuesday, 24 October 2023, from 12:30-2:30pm, the CNCA will host a “Lunch & Learn” hybrid meeting on Canadian corporate impunity with human rights investigator Elvin Hernandez and Professor Robert McCorquodale, Vice-Chairperson of the United Nations Working Group on Business and Human Rights. ...

Rejoignez-nous en ligne ou en personne pour un dîner-conférence avec Elvin Hernandez, enquêteur sur le respect des droits humains basé au Honduras, et le professeur Robert McCorquodale, Vice-président du Groupe de travail des Nations unies sur la question des droits de l’homme et des sociétés transnationales et autres entreprises.

Événement à venir : dîner-conférence avec Elvin Hernandez et Robert McCorquodale Le mardi 24 octobre 2023, 12h30-14h30, le RCRCE organisera une réunion hybride 'dîner-conférence' avec Elvin Hernandez, enquêteur sur le respect des droits humains basé au Honduras, et le professeur Robert McCorquodale, Vice-président du Groupe de travail des Nations unies sur la question des ...

«J'exhorte le gouvernement à proposer une législation obligeant les entreprises canadiennes à mettre en œuvre une diligence raisonnable en matière de droits de l'homme et à étendre l'indépendance, les pouvoirs et le mandat du OCRE» dit un expert de l'ONU, Tomoya Obokata, rapporteur spécial des Nations unies sur les formes contemporaines d'esclavage.

Canada : Ancrer la lutte contre les formes contemporaines d'esclavage dans les droits de l'homme, demande un expert ONU OTTAWA (6 septembre 2023) - Les programmes de travailleurs étrangers temporaires du Canada sont un terrain propice aux formes contemporaines d'esclavage, a déclaré aujourd'hui un expert de l'ONU, exhortant le pays à faire davantage pour protéger les travailleurs et permettre un meilleur accès ...

The United Nations Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, Tomoya Obookata, has urged the Canadian Government "to bring forward legislation requiring Canadian companies to implement mandatory human rights due diligence, and expand the independence, powers, and mandate of the CORE” (Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise).

Canada: Anchor the fight against contemporary forms of slavery in human rights, a UN expert urges OTTAWA (6 September 2023) – Canada’s temporary foreign worker programmes are a breeding ground for contemporary forms of slavery, a UN expert said today, urging the country to do more to protect workers and offer a clear pathway to permanent residency for all migrants.

UN Special Rapporteur Tomoya Obokata says Canada should do more to fulfill its international obligations to prevent forced labour and other contemporary forms of slavery. In a statement today, Mr. Obokata said that mandatory human rights due diligence laws are the way forward and that Canada should give Canada’s Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise (CORE) powers to compel companies to provide evidence and cooperate.

Press Release: UN Special Rapporteur on Slavery raises concerns about Canada’s current approach to business and human rights PRESS RELEASE, For immediate release 6 September 2023   UN Special Rapporteur Tomoya Obokata says Canada should do more to fulfill its international obligations to prevent forced labour and other contemporary forms of slavery. In a statement today, Mr. Obokata said that mandatory human

Le Rapporteur spécial de l’ONU sur les formes contemporaines d’esclavage, Tomoya Obokata, dit que le Canada devrait faire davantage pour remplir ses obligations internationales en matière de prévention du travail forcé et d'autres formes contemporaines d'esclavage. Dans une déclaration publiée aujourd'hui (en anglais), M. Obokata a déclaré que les lois obligatoires sur la diligence raisonnable en matière de droits humains sont la voie à suivre et que le Canada devrait donner à l’Ombudsman canadien de la responsabilité des entreprises (OCRE) le pouvoir d'obliger les entreprises à fournir des preuves et à coopérer.

Communiqué : Rapporteur spécial des Nations Unies sur l’esclavage exprime ses préoccupations quant à l'approche actuelle du Canada en matière d'entreprises et de droits humains COMMUNIQUÉ DE PRESSE , Pour publication immédiate, 6 septembre 2023   Le Rapporteur spécial de l’ONU sur les formes contemporaines d’esclavage, Tomoya Obokata, dit que le Canada devrait faire davantage pour remplir ses obligations internationales en matière de prévention du travail forcé ...

This summer, the Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise (CORE) has announced several 'investigations' into allegations of human rights abuse linked to Canadian companies.

These announcements come over a year after concerned civil society groups filed complaints with the office.

Not only have the complainants been left waiting, but the CORE’s ‘investigations’ will likely prove to be fruitless, as the office is still without the power to compel company documents and testimony.

The Canadian government can and should finally deliver on its promise to empower the CORE.

CORE ‘investigations’ into allegations of Canadian company links to Uyghur forced labour will likely yield few results 24 August 2023 Today the Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise (CORE) announced new ‘investigations’ into allegations that Canadian companies benefited from the forced labour of Uyghurs in East Turkestan (also known as Xinjiang, China). This announcement comes over a year after concer...

The CNCA notes, with concern, that Canada’s draft national report to the fourth cycle of the UN Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review, lacks sufficient attention to the serious human rights abuses that continue to be linked to the global operations and supply chains of Canadian businesses, and to the continued absence in Canada of binding measures to end these abuses.

Comments on Canada’s Draft National Report to the fourth cycle of the UN Human Rights Council's Universal Periodic Review The Canadian Network on Corporate Accountability (CNCA) welcomes the opportunity to provide comments on the draft of Canada’s national report to the fourth cycle of the Universal Periodic Review. The CNCA brings together forty human rights, environmental, labour, faith-based and solidarity groups ...

The human rights of people like Mariano Abarca, murdered in a case with alleged links to a Canadian mining company, are non-negotiable. The CNCA supports the right of access to remedy for those harmed by Canadian companies’ global operations and supply chains, and campaigns for reforms of Canada’s policy and legal approaches to ensure that the actions of Canadian officials comply with Canada’s international human and environmental rights obligations.

CNCA welcomes family and supporters of Mexican human rights and environmental defender Mariano Abarca Photo: Mexican lawyer José Luís Abarca and REMA organizer Esperanza Salazar are welcomed by representatives of CNCA member-organizations during a meeting at headquarters of the Canadian Labour Congress on 6 June 2023. The CNCA welcomed the family and supporters of murdered Mexican human rights and...

Under the human rights due diligence law just passed by the European Parliament, and likely to be implemented across the region as of 2024, companies will be required to "identify, and where necessary prevent, end or mitigate the negative impact of their activities on human rights and the environment such as on child labour, slavery, labour exploitation, pollution, environmental degradation and biodiversity loss." Businesses will have to "monitor and assess the impact of their value-chain partners including not only suppliers but also sale, distribution, transport, storage, waste-management and other areas." Non-compliant companies will be liable for damages and open to repercussions including taking a company’s goods off the market, or fines of at least 5% of net worldwide turnover. "Companies will also have to implement a transition plan to limit global warming to 1.5° and in the case of large companies with over 1000 employees, meeting the plan’s targets will have an impact on a director’s variable remuneration (f.e. bonuses)."

EU adopts position on company human rights and environmental impact operating standards - Confectionery Production The European Parliament has confirmed its position for negotiating with member states on critical human rights and environmental impact from companies' governance (ESG) issues, with industry observers anticipating positive outcomes with legal protection for key cocoa supply chain communities, writes...

Learn how Europe will likely soon be implementing human rights and environmental due diligence in this clear article by NYU's Michael Posner via Forbes. Due diligence laws should be as normal as our occupational health and safety standards.

Why It’s Important That European Governments Are Moving To Regulate The Treatment Of Workers Globally The European Parliament's endorsement of "mandatory due diligence" laws seeks to regulate companies' human rights and environmental performance.

"Critics have charged Canada’s efforts against forced labor don’t go far enough. A number of labor and human rights groups said after the bill’s passage that the new law risked making the problem worse by providing the appearance of action." / “Canadian companies can continue to profit from forced labor and child labor, even when taking zero steps to stop it, or patently inadequate steps,” said Emily Dwyer, policy director at the Canadian Network on Corporate Accountability, a network of nonprofits, faith groups and unions.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/canada-passes-law-aimed-at-exposing-forced-labor-in-supply-chains-e13c289

Canada Passes Law Aimed at Exposing Forced Labor in Supply Chains Canada will take on forced labor with a new law requiring companies to report on their efforts to stop tainted goods from entering their supply chains.

Loi S-211 sur le travail forcé et le travail des enfants : Le Bloc québécois et le Nouveau Parti démocratique ont critiqué l’approche du gouvernement, soutenant qu’elle ne tient pas les entreprises responsables et qu’elle n’a pas le pouvoir de mettre fin à ces pratiques néfastes. Le NPD dit qu’il a voté contre le projet de loi mercredi après-midi et qu’il continuera de promouvoir deux de ses propres projets de loi qui visent à créer une plus grande responsabilisation.
https://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/politique/2023-05-03/travail-des-enfants-et-travail-force/la-chambre-des-communes-adopte-un-projet-de-loi.php

Travail des enfants et travail forcé | La Chambre des communes adopte un projet de loi La Chambre des communes a adopté un projet de loi qui s’attarde au travail des enfants et au travail forcé dans le monde.