In 2019 the Canadian government appointed an Ombudsperson to ensure justice and remedy for individuals and communities harmed by Canadian mining, oil, gas and garment companies operating overseas. However, the Canadian government failed to give the Ombudsperson the powers needed to conduct effective investigations (for example, the Ombudsperson cannot compel corporate disclosure). Without an effective Ombudsperson, the individuals and communities who seek justice for allegations of murder, sexual violence, dispossession from their land, dangerous and exploitative working conditions, poisoning of land and water, and other human rights abuses, will continue to be unable to have their voices heard in Canada.
Please sign our parliamentary petition, urging the Canadian government to empower the Ombudsperson with the power to investigate human rights abuse allegations and enact a law that compels businesses to respect the most current international human rights standards across the entirety of their global operations and supply chains. The petition closes September 1, 2020.
What else can I do?
- Encourage at least five friends to sign our parliamentary petition. Here are some images and text that you can use to promote the petition on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
-
Join our virtual rally and be part of the “People’s delivery” of our corporate accountability petition
On October 18, raise your voice for corporate accountability! Come together online with Canadians across the country for the Open for Justice campaign’s first ever virtual rally. Together, we will demand corporate accountability and symbolically deliver our petition to the House of Commons.
Tune in to hear from mining-affected communities, chant for change, and connect with a growing movement demanding Canadian corporations uphold human rights abroad. One of the awesome things about a virtual rally on Parliament Hill is that you don’t have to live near Ottawa to participate. Everyone can join, from coast to coast.
Save the date: Oct 18th, 2020. 1pm Pacific, 2pm Mountain, 3pm Central, 4pm Eastern, 5pm Atlantic, 5:30pm Nfld.
- If you missed our “Minding our Own Business” webinar on May 14, 2020 we invite you to watch the recording here. During the webinar we heard powerful stories from people whose lives have been severely affected by Canadian companies in the Philippines, the Brazilian Amazon, and Bangladesh, and we learned how the COVID-19 pandemic is exacerbating their situation. We also launched our “Empower and Enact Action Plan”. A few Canadian MPs also spoke at the webinar, showing their support for stronger accountability mechanisms for Canadian companies overseas.
For more information visit www.amnesty.ca/openforjustice.
Note: This campaign is a collaborative effort with the Canadian Network on Corporate Accountability and its 38 member organizations.
