Stop 'rogue' Canadian mining operations abroad, MP urges
Mike De Souza
CanWest News Service
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
OTTAWA - The federal government should immediately crack down on the unethical and destructive practices of Canadian mineral extraction companies that profit from weak laws and regulations in developing companies, NDP foreign affairs critic Alexa McDonough said Wednesday.
Mining Abroad 'Morally Wrong': MPs
■ Alexa McDonough and British MP Steve Pound try to resurrect the call for Canada to enact social responsibility requirements.
By Chris Gillcash
NDP MP Alexa McDonough is calling on Canada to enact standards of corporate social responsibility in overseas mining operations following a trip to Honduras last week to investigate concerns that some Canadian companies working in Honduras are taking advantage of weak regulations and endangering local residents through environmental contamination.
Click here for pdf
Trade talks to start soon with Columbia
Observers say Canada should wait until Uribe government has better human rights record
Jul 12, 2007 04:30 AM
Allan Woods
Ottawa Bureau
OTTAWA–A free trade deal likely to be launched between Canada and Colombia next week will go beyond the usual focus on dollars and cents to spell out the ethical responsibilities of Canadian companies seeking to exploit the South American country's untapped resources.
Plans by US, Canada and EU to finance massive copper mine in DRC disregard Congolese government review of mining deals
On July 12, the US government’s Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) is set to give its backing to mining major Phelps Dodge/Freeport McMoRan for the company’s Tenke Fungurume copper project in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Other public lenders such as Export Development Canada (EDC) and the European Investment Bank (EIB) are expected to follow suit. These financing plans are proceeding in spite of the fact that the Tenke deal is among 60 contracts currently under review by the Congolese government.
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?
Karyn Keenan, of the Halifax Initiative, was featured on Avi Lewis' "On the Map" on June 20 talking about the Nationa
Curb mining abuses, say church leaders - Coalition urges binding legislation on human rights, environment
Art Babych, Anglican Journal - http://www.anglicanjournal.com/100/article/curb-mining-abuses-say-church...
May 30, 2007
Canada's reputation as a human rights leader is being damaged by environmental and human rights abuses of Canadian mining companies overseas, say church leaders and activists from the Philippines and South Africa.
Churches push for industry ethics rules
Canadians often 'the bad guys' in overseas mining operations
Kelly Patterson
The Ottawa Citizen
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Some of Canada's most powerful church leaders are demanding the government take action to ensure Canadian mining and oil firms behave ethically in their overseas operations.
"This is a fundamental ethical issue," says Roger Ebacher, archbishop of Gatineau.