Canadian Network on Corporate Accountability letter calls for Canada to develop comprehensive mandatory human rights due diligence legislation
The Canadian Network on Corporate Accountability (CNCA) welcomes the Government of Canada’s recent commitment to consult on Canadian supply chain legislation... [and] urge[s] you to use this consultation process to develop comprehensive mandatory human rights due diligence legislation... Canada should build on the lessons learned and best practices that have emerged from European supply chain legislative initiatives that require companies to exercise human rights due diligence.
... Canadian legislation must: Provide for liability, and remedy, if a company fails to exercise appropriate due diligence and causes harm; Cover the full complement of internationally recognized human rights, including those that address environmental sustainability, and not be restricted to a limited set of rights (such as forced labour); Articulate that companies have a responsibility to respect internationally recognized human rights; Require companies to take appropriate measures to identify, prevent, mitigate and account for how they address human rights and environmental impacts; Articulate that a company’s responsibility to undertake due diligence flows through its entire corporate structure, including its business relationships, and through its entire supply chain, and Refer to the human rights due diligence standards.