IHRP Acting Director Testifies Before Senate Committee: Human Rights Impacts of Canadian Companies Operating in Africa

IHRP Acting Director, James Yap, addressed Canada’s Standing Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade, to testify on the human rights impacts of Canadian companies operating in Africa – and what Canada can do about it.

Canada’s companies – especially our extractive companies – are our “unofficial ambassadors” in Africa, but “unfortunately, examples abound of them being accused of involvement in serious violations of human rights and good governance standards.”  James provides a few of these examples of alleged abuses in Africa at the hands of Canadian corporations and explains how this “imposes a reputational cost for Canada.” He further explains how this is not a question of imposing our standards on others, but about Canada’s own adherence to “internationally recognized standards.”

James also shares three concrete ways Canada can directly and effectively do “more to ensure good human rights and good governance practices by Canadian companies operating in Africa”:

1. Enact mandatory human rights due diligence legislation (MHRDD), which would require companies to take certain affirmative measures to mitigate the negative impacts on human rights, wherever they operate in the world;
   
   
2. Enact measures to ensure Canadian companies can be held legally accountable at home; and
   
   
3. Temper the unqualified consular support the government often offers to Canadian companies embroiled in human rights controversy overseas, and adopt a more measured approach in such circumstances.
   
   

Watch the full discussion here.