...“It’s essential that our mines and businesses are operating in a way that is respectful of human rights. That does not only apply to mining, but to all businesses, and what we’ve advocated for this ombudsman to apply to our business,” Mining Association of Canada (MAC) VP for sustainable development Ben Chalmers told Mining Weekly Online...

Chalmers explains that the office will be another tool that the Canadian government now has at its disposal to enforce good business practice.

This also dovetails with the MAC’s efforts to promote its Towards Sustainable Mining (TSM) initiative in other jurisdictions. To date, mining associations in Finland, Argentina, Botswana and the Philippines have also adopted versions of the TSM principles and Chalmers says it is working with several more jurisdictions to sign on to the programme, which is built around ethical best business practices...

Canadian precious metals company Tahoe Resources in a separate statement welcomed the creation of CORE.

"We applaud the government's announcement today to appoint a human rights ombudsperson to oversee Canadian mining and other industries abroad. Independent oversight will strengthen best practices, ensure transparency within the mining industry and promote safe and responsible mining operations in Canada and abroad. Today's action is a positive step forward for the Canadian mining and extractive industry and we look forward to working with the new ombudsperson,” Tahoe president and CEO Ron Claytonsays in a statement...