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Business and Human Rights

Business and Human Rights. Ian Thomson KAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives. KAIROS. Ecumenical: 11 Canadian churches and church agencies Corporate Social Responsibility Program Corporate accountability Responsible investment. Engineers and Corporate Responsibility.

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Business and Human Rights

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  1. Business and Human Rights Ian Thomson KAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives

  2. KAIROS Ecumenical: 11 Canadian churches and church agencies Corporate Social Responsibility Program • Corporate accountability • Responsible investment

  3. Engineers and Corporate Responsibility Guyana, Water and the Omai Gold Mine

  4. Business and Human Rights • What impact do the company’s activities have on human rights? • What are the company’s responsibilities regarding human rights?

  5. Impacts Some Examples: • Security and Human Rights (Oil & Gas sector) • Labour Rights (Retailing sector) • Indigenous Rights (Mining sector)

  6. International Standards • Universal Declaration of Human Rights • UN Human Rights Conventions • International Labour Organization Conventions • UN Norms on Business and Human Rights (draft)

  7. Voluntary Measures Internationally: • UN Global Compact • OECD Guidelines for Multinational Entreprises • Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights

  8. Canadian MPs call for change In June 2005: • Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade (SCFAIT) • All-party report on Mining and Corporate Social Responsibility • 10 recommendations for policy change in Canada

  9. Voluntary measures alone are not working

  10. SCFAIT Recommendations • Establish legal norms to hold Cdn companies accountable for human rights and environmental violations abroad • Provide CSR tools and services to Cdn companies operating abroad • Increase the governance capacity of host countries

  11. SCFAIT Recommendations (cont’d) • Develop mechanisms to monitor activities of Cdn companies abroadand resolve complaints • Condition Cdn government support for companies on human rights and environmental compliance

  12. SCFAIT Recommendations (cont’d) • Integrate human rights standards into World Bank private sector financing

  13. Agenda for change In October 2005: • Government ignores most of the recommendations However, SCFAIT has established an agenda for change

  14. Agenda for change In spring 2006: • Government will host 5 roundtables across Canada on mining and corporate responsibility

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