Canada Abolishes Corporate Human Rights Watchdog

Ekhbary News Agency | May 15, 2024

Ottawa — Canada is eliminating a watchdog tasked with investigating alleged human rights violations by Canadian companies operating overseas. The move follows statements by Mark Carney, former governor of the Bank of England, that the Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise (CORE) office has been ineffective since its establishment in 2019. This decision comes as Canada faces criticism from the Trump administration over its "unacceptable" efforts to combat forced labour.

Background and Rationale for Abolition

The CORE office was established under former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government to probe the use of forced labour by corporations, with an initial focus on China's alleged use of the Uyghur minority. Over its six-year tenure, the office launched only five investigations, including against US apparel companies like Ralph Lauren, Nike, and Levi Strauss, as well as mining firms. Allegations consistently centered on forced labour in China's Xinjiang region. As part of austerity measures, Carney indicated that the government would review federal offices for efficiency and implement cuts. He stated the decision was made "a few months ago," and that existing legislation to combat forced labour had proven "less effective" in enforcement.

Divergent Reactions

The abolition has drawn mixed reactions. Some federal ministers had previously lauded the office as a key component of Canada's human rights efforts. Conversely, political leaders argued the office needed strengthening, not elimination. Green Party leader Elizabeth May stated, "CORE has never been given the independence or powers it needs to do its job properly." She added that "the solution to a flawed office cannot be to simply do away with it entirely." The government plans to introduce new legislation that will include a public list of products linked to forced labour and require importers to verify that goods from listed regions are not produced through slavery. These steps are being taken amid US pressure on Canada regarding its perceived weak enforcement of forced labour laws in supply chains.