Government Squanders Opportunity to Hold Extractive Companies to Account
(Ottawa- March 26, 2009) Today’s government announcement on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has squandered the important consensus reached by industry and civil society organizations on how to ensure that the overseas operations of Canadian extractive companies adhere to international environmental and human rights standards. Almost two years ago, the multi-stakeholder Advisory Group to the National Roundtables on CSR in the Extractive Sector submitted its consensus report to the Canadian government. Today’s long-awaited response ignores the report’s central recommendations.

To access the submission, click here.

The changing face of global development finance
In 2007 Brazil’s Development Bank issued loans worth more than double the entire World Bank portfolio. More than half of the increase in aid since 2002 comes from debt relief, rather than new funding commitments. What’s more, from 1995-2005, Africa saw no net increase in its development aid despite a 35% increase in commitments to global aid over that period. In 2007, China financed more infrastructure projects in Africa than all multilateral and bilateral donors combined. The Gates Foundation provides more funding for neglected developing country diseases than all of the Group of Seven. These were some of the facts that emerged at an HI conference on “The Changing Face of Global Development Finance - Impacts and implications for aid, development, the South and the Bretton Woods Institutions.”

At home and abroad, Canadian companies should have the same human-rights and environmental standards



Our mining and oil and gas interests shouldn't act like a foreign fox in an overseas hen house

ED BROADBENT AND ALEX NEVE

Special to Globe and Mail Update

February 29, 2008 at 12:21 AM EST

Embassy, July 11th, 2007
NEWS STORY
Chamber says PM Broke Promise at G8

The Canadian Chamber of Commerce is frustrated Stephen Harper mentioned a corporate responsibility report during the G8, but mining groups are pleased their study is being taken seriously.

By Lee Berthiaume

The Canadian Chamber of Commerce says Prime Minister Stephen Harper was premature in promoting a recent report on corporate social responsibility at the Group of Eight nations summit in June.

http://www.thestar.com/comment/article/230187

Canada's Responsibility
by Gerry Barr, President-CEO Canadian Council for International Co-operation
June 28, 2007
PM sees payoff in adding Americas to foreign agenda

Prime Minister Stephen Harper has decided Canada should "re-engage" with the Americas, and in July he's visiting four states in the region to start up his new foreign policy direction. In a world where the majority of the population lives in underdevelopment, Harper rightly says of the Americas, "We also have countries that have development challenges." But will Canada lessen those challenges or add to them?

June 22, 2007

The Right Hon. Stephen Harper
Prime Minister of Canada
312S Centre Block
House of Commons
Ottawa, ON K1A 0A2

RE: Formally adopting and implementing full set of recommendations from recent Canadian CSR roundtable process.

Dear Prime Minister:

The Canadian Network on Corporate Accountability (CNCA) commends the Canadian government for addressing the issue of corporate social responsibility (CSR) during the G8 summit in early June.  The CNCA is encouraged that particular emphasis was placed on the operations of mining, oil and gas companies.

http://www.wcr.ab.ca/news/2007/0409/mining04

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