Take action now!
Want to get involved as an individual or an organization? There are a number of ways of doing so. The first step, however, as an individual is to sign our petition to parliament (and get everyone you know to follow suit), or as an organization to read and endorse our demands.Once you have done this, there are a whole series of other ways both organizations and individuals can get more actively involved.
Get involved as an individual
Sign our petition to Parliament (our target is 3000 - see our thermometer to see how we are doing). This is not an electronic petition, so PLEASE follow the guidelines as required below or you RISK invalidating your petition. Make sure:- Not to scratch out or change any text.
- Not to alter the format on your computer.
- That the first page of the petition has at least 3 signatures; please use copies of the second page provided for all additional sheets.
- Petitions must have a minimum of 25 signatures.
- Each petitioner must sign his or her name directly on the petition (not printed).
- The petitioner’s address must be written directly on the petition. The petitioner may give his or her full address or simply the city and the province.
- Ensure all signees write inside the boxes.
- Only Canadians or permanent residents living in Canada can sign the petition.
Andrea Botto
Coordinator, Canadian Network on Corporate Accountability
c/o Halifax Initiative Coalition
153 Chapel Street,
Ottawa, ON K1N 1H5
Get involved as an organization
If your organization wishes to endorse our statement of demands, please send the name of your Organization (in English and French if appropriate) and of a contact person to Andrea Botto at cnca(at)halifaxinitiative.org
See below current list of endorsements - updated once a week.
STATEMENT OF DEMANDS - MOVING BEYOND VOLUNTARISM: CANADA AND CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY ABROAD
The problem
Canadian mining, oil and gas companies have been implicated in well-documented cases of human rights violations and environmental disasters abroad. These violations by Canadian companies include toxic dumping, the destruction of protected areas, forcible displacement of indigenous peoples, and threats and intimidation of local communities.
This is not a case of a few bad apples: Canadian extractive companies have been implicated in human rights abuses and environmental disasters in more than thirty countries.
The Government offers both political assistance and financial support to Canadian extractive companies that operate abroad. Yet the Government has no regulatory mechanisms to ensure that these companies observe international human rights and environmental standards – standards that have been adopted by Canada.
The voluntary approach to corporate accountability championed by the Canadian Government is problematic for several reasons. Most voluntary codes lack independent monitoring and verification systems, complaints tools and enforcement mechanisms. Moreover, the voluntary approach excludes binding mechanisms to hold companies accountable when there is evidence of environmental and/or human rights violations associated with their overseas activities.
The solution
The Government should:
- Require Canadian companies operating internationally to meet clearly defined corporate accountability, international human rights and environmental standards, as a precondition for both financial and political assistance.
- Develop legislation to hold Canadian companies and their directors accountable in Canada when found complicit in human rights abuses and environmental destruction abroad.
- Develop robust Canadian-based monitoring, verification and compliance mechanisms to ensure that Canadian companies operating internationally meet clearly defined corporate accountability, international human rights and environmental standards.
- Promote the inclusion of human rights standards in World Bank policies and condition private sector lending on compliance with international human rights.
In addition to the members of CNCA, the following organizations endorse these demands:
- Africa Files
- Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment
- Canadian Auto Workers Local 2301
- Canadian Friends of Burma (CFOB)
- Canadian Friends Service Committee
- Canadian Pugwash Group - Executive Committee
- Centre for Social Justice
- CERLAC (Centre for Research on Latin America and the Caribbean, York U)
- Christian Peacemaker Teams Colombia Team
- Comite Chileno por los Derechos Humanos -Mtl
- Comité syndicale nationale de retraite Bâtirente
- Colombia Action Solidarity Committee
- Greenpeace Canada
- Grupo de Trabajo No a Pascua Lama - Mtl
- Guatemala Community Network, Toronto
- Le Projet Accompagnement Québec-Guatemala
- Liu Institute for Global Issues
- Maquila Solidarity Network (MSN)
- Maritimes-Guatemala Breaking the Silence Network
- ORPIG-Carlenton
- Oxfam Canada
- Oxfam Quebec
- Primate's World Relief and Development Fund (PWRDF)
- Scarboro Missions
- Social JusticeCommittee
- Terre Sans Frontières
- The COUNCIL of Canadians
- Umuchinshi Initiative
- United Steelworkers Local 2020, Sudbury Ontario
- United Steelworkers Local 6500, Sudbury Ontario
- University of Guelph Central Student Association
