Dharamsala, September 16 – Canada Tibet Committee (CTC) supporters staged an information picket yesterday afternoon at the Canada China Business Council’s third annual business forum in Toronto, challenging Canadian businesses to take the lead in the protection of human rights when they work with Chinese businesses.
Through its new “When Do You Draw the Line” campaign, the CTC intends to identify and publish on its website those Canadian companies that abide by and enforce international human rights, labour and environmental standards, and those that do not, a statement issued by the CTC said.
The CTC urges Canadian companies doing business in China to adopt the ten principles of the UN’s Global Compact, and to include an independent enforcement mechanism under Canadian jurisdiction that would apply to all of a company’s operations, including those in China.
The United Nations Global Compact describes itself as a “strategic policy initiative for businesses that are committed to aligning their operations and strategies with ten universally accepted principles in the areas of human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption.”
The Global Compact is a step in the right direction, says CTC executive director Dermod Travis but stresses that companies must also include an independent enforcement mechanism. “Any claims about respect for international standards of human rights, environment or labour standards may simply be “rights washing” without an independent enforcement mechanism.
Many CCBC members are publicly traded companies and, like governments who answer to voters, corporations are accountable first to shareholders. “Corporate executives can draw the line themselves or they can wait for shareholders or consumers to draw it for them,” said Travis.
CTC argues that Canadian companies have a responsibility to ensure that human rights are a part of every workplace in China, because a workplace that promotes human rights fosters an environment where workers can express concerns about malpractices and exploitation.
Copies of the “When do you draw the line” brochure are available here
