MONTREAL, Jan. 17, 2018 /CNW Telbec/ - Development
and Peace – Caritas Canada welcomes
today's announcement by the Canadian government to create a human
rights ombudsperson to oversee Canadian mining, oil and gas
operations around the world after ten years of campaigning on this
issue. Since 2006, its campaigns for greater accountability in the
Canadian extractives sector have garnered the support of 500,000
Canadians.
"This announcement has been a long-time coming and we are happy
to see that the government is respecting its electoral promise and
restoring Canada's role as a leader in defending human rights
worldwide," said Serge Langlois,
Executive Director of Development and Peace, after the Honourable
Minister of International Trade François-Philippe Champagne made the announcement.
Concerns over human rights violations linked to Canadian mining
companies began to be raised as far back as the early 2000s,
initiating a series of national roundtable discussions that
resulted in the recommendation for an ombudsperson to oversee this
sector. Instead, the government has been relying on the Office of
the Extractive Sector CSR Counsellor and the National Contact Point
for the OECD Guidelines to receive complaints from local
communities experiencing human rights violations by Canadian
extractive companies.
These mechanisms, however, have not proven effective in
resolving cases since they lack investigatory powers and
independence, and are not mandated to recommend remedy and over the
years, evidence of human rights abuses and violence surrounding
Canadian mines has continued to be exposed and has led to:
As a member of the Canadian Network on Corporate Accountability,
Development and Peace launched its Voice for Justice
campaign in 2013, which highlighted the detrimental environmental,
social and economic impacts of Canadian mining companies on mostly
poor peasant and Indigenous communities in Africa, Asia
and Latin America and mobilized
80,000 Canadians to again call for the creation of an
ombudsperson.
"We are confident that the Minister will do what is necessary to
ensure that the ombudsperson, like all ombuds offices under the
purview of the government, is autonomous and has independent
investigatory powers, as well as the required budget to be
effective. We look forward to seeing the implementation of this
office in the near future," said Mr. Langlois.
SOURCE Development and Peace