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Le rôle mondial du Canada au regard des entreprises et des droits humains Un symposium pour les décideurs et décideuses politiques, les universitaires et la société civile

Join us in Ottawa on October 29 for the symposium Canada's Global Role in Business and Human Rights. Register by clicking below!

Symposium: Canada’s Global Role in Business and Human Rights An event for policymakers, academics and civil society actors

aboveground.ngo

New report: Mandating Corporate Action to End Forced Labour in Seafood Supply Chains. Read it at https://aboveground.ngo/seafood-forced-labour-report

Workers in fisheries are all too often forced into work that puts their health, safety and even lives at risk. Our report shows how Canada could crack down on companies profiting from this abuse in their supply chains.

Under a strong due diligence law, courts could order changes to companies’ reckless sourcing practices – and justice for workers who’ve been harmed.

Mandating Corporate Action to End Forced Labour in Seafood Supply Chains | Above Ground In this report we examine the links between Canadian seafood imports and forced labour, the government’s policy response, and how Canada could better protect the rights of workers in fisheries, primarily by adopting a strong human rights due diligence law.

Join the Global Day of Action on August 26th against oil drilling by Canadian company in the Kavango region of southern Africa.

📂Download the Toolkit: http://coda.io//stand-with-kavango

✍️Sign the Petition: https://secure.avaaz.org/campaign/en/okavango_loc/

Africa’s Eden is under assault Our future's at stake. Help save our land, home to 1 in 3 surviving African elephants.

Protestors at a Roshel facility in Brampton "are demanding that the Canadian government deny the export permits Roshel is seeking to export armoured vehicles to Israel and instead implement a full arms embargo."

Today we stood with civil society groups around the world calling for all states to .

Let's be clear about Canada's ongoing role: Canadian companies are supplying “parts of the fighter jets, warships, drones, and attack helicopters that are decimating right now,” according to World Beyond War.

The Canadian government could put a stop to this. It must do so without delay.

➤ Read the press release: https://t.ly/ecCKC

Canadian news:
• ReconAfrica accused of human rights abuse in latest complaint to the CORE
• Dynasty Gold contributed to forced labour, ombuds finds
• Experts tell MPs that fossil finance must end

We dig into these and other stories in our April e-newsletter.

➤ Read it here: https://mailchi.mp/30d0bae6fdb9/core-complaints-and-fossil-finance?e=5e217f2f50

Today human rights advocates filed a complaint against Calgary-based with the Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise.

They allege that ReconAfrica has "damaged homes, devastated subsistence crops, and destroyed land, illegally and without the consent of local Indigenous communities," among other violations.

We urge the CORE to investigate this complaint swiftly and thoroughly — and for the Canadian government to grant her the powers she needs to do so effectively.

Find out more:
🡆 Read the complainants' press release: https://t.ly/2lSGE
🡆 See our round-up of cases brought to the CORE: https://t.ly/z-Ni1



Re-Con Africa, Canadian Network on Corporate Accountability - RCRCE, Canadian Lawyers for International Human Rights (CLAIHR), Oil Change International, Climate Action Network - Réseau action climat Canada Business & Human Rights Resource Centre

(Pictured below: a press conference with the complainants, Saving Okavango's Unique Life - SOUL and the University of Toronto Faculty of Law's International Human Rights Program)

Today human rights advocates filed a complaint against Calgary-based with the Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise.

They allege that the company's activities in Namibia have "damaged homes, devastated subsistence crops, and destroyed land, illegally and without the consent of local Indigenous communities," among other violations.

We urge the CORE to investigate this complaint swiftly and thoroughly, and for the Canadian government to grant her the powers she needs to do so effectively.

Find out more:
🡆 Watch the complainants' press conference: https://t.ly/UroTD
🡆 Read their press release: https://t.ly/2lSGE
🡆 See our round-up of complaints submitted to the CORE to date:
https://t.ly/z-Ni1

Saving Okavango's Unique Life - SOUL Oil Change International Canadian Network on Corporate Accountability - RCRCE Canadian Lawyers for International Human Rights (CLAIHR) Climate Action Network - Réseau action climat Canada Re-Con Africa

Is the Canadian government providing support to , an oil company ramping up exploratory drilling near a UNESCO world heritage site and wildlife reserve? It has in the past, internal documents show.

Read more on this and other corporate accountability news in our latest e-newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/b4f7adaa28ca/ottawa-support-for-reconafrica-lawsuit-on-military-exports-and-other-news

"Canada should take a tougher stand on imports made using forced labour, experts say, after an investigative journalism project that found seafood imports into the country are being processed by North Korean workers." https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-canada-north-korea-forced-labour-imports/

Canada urged to crack down on forced-labour imports after North Korean revelations An investigation by the Outlaw Ocean Project found that the Chinese seafood industry is using forced North Korean labour and that these products are entering U.S. and Canadian markets

Together with dozens of civil society organizations, Above Ground has signed an open letter to the Minister of Foreign Affairs urging Canada to end military exports to Israel.

Open Letter: Civil society coalition urges Canada to stop arms transfers to Israel We, the undersigned civil society organizations, have profound concerns about the legal and humanitarian implications of Canada’s transfer of weapon systems to the government of Israel. These concerns have only been amplified following the January 26thprovisional ruling by the International Court ...

As the takes an ever more catastrophic toll, with millions at risk of famine, Canadian companies mustn’t be allowed to help fuel it. Ottawa should halt military exports to Israel.

Our statement with RRSE and CISO - Centre international de solidarité ouvrière:

Canada must end military exports to Israel | Above Ground Above Ground, the RRSE and CISO join the growing chorus of voices calling on Ottawa to halt its military exports to Israel. This should be an urgent priority given the scale of the humanitarian emergency in Gaza and serious questions being raised as to whether Israel is committing war crimes.

At COP28, Canada's export bank helped launch a bankers' alliance for "net-zero" emissions.

Yet we've still seen no timeline—from Export Development Canada or the minister overseeing it—for ending the bank's billions in fossil fuel finance. 🧐

EDC joins net-zero alliance, but has no plan to end fossil finance | Above Ground Export Development Canada has joined other export banks in co-founding the Net-Zero Export Credit Agency Alliance. With this, EDC commits to aligning its business with “pathways to net-zero,” but its steadfast support for fossil fuels calls into question the seriousness of its commitment.

To fight the rampant use of globally, we need action from wealthy countries like Canada, where many of the ensuing products—and much of the profits—end up.

Ottawa has promised to “strengthen” Canada's forced labour import ban, which to date has been barely enforced.

It could do so by adopting these reforms right away: https://aboveground.ngo/forced-labour-reforms-ottawa-could-adopt-right-away/

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.

Today, in our latest e-newsletter:
- Join us on Oct. 16 to hear from Indigenous communities fighting TC Energy pipeline projects in Mexico and Wet’suwet’en territory
- UN expert's report and new CORE investigations keep the spotlight on forced labour
- Now on our website: tracking cases of alleged corporate abuse submitted to the CORE
- We're calling for regulations to make Ottawa's Glasgow rules legally binding, to ensure 🇨🇦 slashes its international fossil finance as promised.

Read more & subscribe:

Indigenous solidarity event Oct. 16, UN expert & CORE ramp up focus on forced labour, and other news Indigenous solidarity event in Ottawa, October 16  Join us on Monday October 16, 6:00-8:00 PM, for a public talk bringing together Indigenous delegates from Puebla and Hidalgo, Mexico, and from Wet’suwet’en territory. They represent communities who are pushing back in defence of their land...

As weather disasters devastate communities around the globe, the need to wind down industries is more urgent than ever.

Canada has taken a big step toward ending subsidies, but what about its billions more in public financing for oil & gas?
https://aboveground.ngo/canada-restricts-subsidies-but-delays-plan-to-end-all-fossil-fuel-finance/

Canada restricts subsidies, but delays plan to end billions more in fossil fuel finance | Above Ground Ottawa is poised to end a significant component of its support for fossil fuel companies. It unveiled last week its criteria to identify "inefficient" subsidies that can no longer be provided. Left intact, however, are billions of dollars in federal financing for oil and gas companies, and a phase-o...

Canada's CORE ombudsperson has launched her first investigations, into Nike Canada, Ralph Lauren and Dynasty Gold's alleged ties to in China.

Now it's more urgent than ever that the ombudsperson be given the investigative powers she needs to uncover the truth.

Beyond this, we need to ensure a pathway to justice for workers being abused in supply chains all over the world.

Read more in our latest e-newsletter: http://eepurl.com/ixNdMo

Workers abused in supply chains need a pathway to justice. Plus: Canada's fossil subsidies phaseout is underway, but won't include EDC. Nike, Ralph Lauren and Dynasty Gold investigations highlight gaps in Canada’s forced labour policies The Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise (CORE) has launched her first investigations. Nike Canada, Ralph Lauren and Dynasty Gold are being investigated for possible links to the brutal...

Happening soon. 📣

National Rally: Rana Plaza 10 years later NATIONAL RALLY: Rana Plaza 10 years later THE UNDERSIDE OF FAST FASHION Support workers in the fast fashion industry! Demand legislation to protect human rights and the environment! On Monday, April 24, at 12 noon, at Phillips Square in Montreal, a national rally will be held to:

Canada may soon adopt a law that aims to "fight" the use of forced labour and child labour by requiring companies to publish reports. It won't work, say human rights and labour experts.

"The time has passed for modest first steps," one wrote. "Simply requiring companies to report is not enough."

Read more commentary from academics on Bill S-211, the proposed "Fighting Against Forced Labour and Child Labour in Supply Chains Act:" https://aboveground.ngo/experts-on-bill-s211-canadian-law-on-forced-labour/

Anticipated Canadian law on forced and child labour will achieve very little, say experts Canada's Parliament will soon vote on Bill S-211, a corporate reporting law meant to "fight" forced and child labour in global supply chains. Human rights and labour experts who’ve weighed in on the law have said it will do little, if anything, to achieve that aim. Here’s a selection of their co...

D’août à octobre 2022, nous avons écrit à 30 importateurs canadiens qui se sont approvisionnés auprès de manufacturiers soupçonnés d’avoir employé des travailleurs forcés. La plupart des entreprises contactées n’ont pas répondu à notre lettre. Parmi les entreprises qui ont répondu, la plupart n’ont fourni que peu de détails sur leurs relations d’affaires passées ou présentes avec le manufacturier. Lisez notre rapport ici.

Les importateurs canadiens plutôt silencieux sur leurs liens possibles avec le travail forcé Depuis l’entrée en vigueur en juillet 2020 de l’interdiction d’importer des produits issus du travail forcé au Canada, les enquêtes menées par les médias et des groupes de la société civile ont mis au jour à répétition des cas d’entreprises qui s’approvisionnent à l’étranger ...

How are Canadian firms responding to reports of in their supply chains? We asked dozens of companies whose suppliers have faced high-profile allegations of abuse. More than half of them didn’t reply.

Canadian importers largely silent about their potential links to forced labour Since July 2020, when Canada’s prohibition on importing goods produced by forced labour came into effect, investigations by media and civil society groups have repeatedly found instances of companies sourcing products allegedly made with forced labour abroad — including products banned from ente...

As European countries champion a shift towards more robust climate and corporate accountability measures, Canada is falling behind.

The Corporate Responsbility to Protect Human Rights Act, or Bill C-262, provides a critical opportunity for Canada to step up and join these leaders in placing people and the planet ahead of corporate profits.

Read our op-ed in the National Observer. 👇

Parliament should force corporations to put people over profit Under Bill C-262, Canadian oil and gas companies could be sued for failing to put in place adequate policies for fighting climate change, writes Shawn Katz, communications officer for Above Ground.