ASG is presenting recommendations to the Canadian Government to become a better global citizen:
1. DFATD explore the feasibility of broadening the coverage of a new strategy to
encompass not only the extractive sector but also other sectors of the economy in which Canadian companies are investing abroad. Furthermore, that the concept of Social Responsibility (SR), as it is more commonly used nowadays, be extended to all categories of stakeholders, i.e., investors, governments and civil society/communities, in recognition of the responsibilities that each and all should be assuming.
2. Consistent with the October 16, 2013 Throne Speech and the importance of human rights in international relations, the Canadian government play an even more proactive leadership role in combating corruption and in promoting human rights by contributing to actively devising tools that foster SR, e.g., the promotion and implementation of the so-called Ruggie Guidelines on Human Rights and Business1, the Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (EITI), and enacting new laws, measures and enforcement regulations, if gaps exist.
3. The Canadian government promote more systematically the use of the recently updated International Finance Corporation (IFC) Performance Standards and the Equator Principles that have now gained fairly widespread acceptance in many countries.
4. The Canadian government assist developing countries in building capacity to manage more sustainably their extractive sector, monitor more effectively its activities, create effective grievance mechanisms and eventually prosecute egregious cases of environmental damage or destruction, in their jurisdictions. Also, the Canadian government continue to actively encourage and provide assistance to help developing countries design standards and other compliance assessment tools and pass clear laws to which investing companies would then be subject.
5. DFATD, in its evaluation of the current Canadian CSR Strategy on the extractive sector, examine the effectiveness of the Office of the Corporate Social Responsibility Counsellor with a view to strengthening its mandate and giving it a more proactive role in developing such tools and promoting effective grievance mechanisms at the national and project level.
6. The Canadian government re-enforce the whole-of-government approach to SR by transforming the existing Inter-Departmental Committee into a Task Force coordinated by a very senior public servant.
1 The Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights were developed by John Ruggie, former UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Business and Human Rights and endorsed by the UN Human Rights Council on June 16, 2011.
ii
7. The Canadian government undertake a publicity campaign to sensitize the Canadian public and Canadian companies, domestically and abroad, on the importance of responsible corporate behaviour for the benefit of all stakeholders and the implementation of industry-generated tools such as the e3 Plus, developed by the Prospectors and Developers Association Canada and “Towards Sustainable Mining (TSM)” developed by the Mining Association of Canada.
To read the entire document:ASG-CSR Paper November 2013
