Ombudsperson announced, but government fails to make good on promises
In January 2018, the government of Canada committed to creating a Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise to investigate allegations of human rights abuses by Canadian extractives and garment sector enterprises. Today, it announced an Ombudsperson has been hired, however, without the necessary investigatory powers to do the job. In today’s announcement, the government promised that those powers would be incorporated into the role after further study.
After15 months of delays, and after years of courageous testimony from human rights defenders about the terrible abuses they suffered in the context of Canadian mines, actions speak louder than words. We are deeply disappointed by today’s announcement and vow to carry on Amnesty’s campaign for a fully independent Ombudsperson with investigatory powers.
READ the CNCA’s >statement.
READ the government’s announcement >here.
TAKE ACTION Share your reaction to the news that after more than a decade of campaigning and 15 months after the government announced it would create the Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise, today it announced more of the same: an empty and ineffective approach to corporate accountability. Tweet your message to the Prime Minister and Minister Carr (@JustinTrudeau, @jimcarr_wpg) telling them that despite today’s announcement, you are concerned that the Ombudsperson still lacks the #power2compel and that without this important function, Canada will not be any closer to being #Open4Justice.
