Canada's Plan to Abolish Human Rights Watchdog Sparks Global Criticism In a surprise move, the Canadian government has announced plans to eliminate the Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise office, a watchdog established in 2019 to investigate alleged human rights violations committed by Canadian companies operating abroad. The decision has sparked widespread criticism, particularly after Mark Carney, a former Bank of England governor and current UN Special Envoy on Climate Action and Finance, expressed concerns about the office's effectiveness. Carney's comments have been seized upon by critics, who argue that the move is a step backward in Canada's efforts to address forced labor and other human rights abuses linked to its global business operations. The decision has also drawn fire from the US administration, with officials labeling Canada's efforts to combat forced labor as "unacceptable."
Mark Carney says Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise office hasn’t been ‘effective’ since its 2019 setupCanada is eliminating a watchdog that investigates alleged human rights violations committed by Canadian companies operating abroad, after Mark Carney said the office hadn’t been “effective” since it was set up in 2019.The move comes as Canada faces criticism from Donald Trump’s administration over its “unacceptable” efforts to combat forced labour. Continue reading...
