Human rights and responsible business conduct

Human rights abuse means an adverse impact on an internationally recognized human right — including any of the human rights that are referred to in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights — arising from a Canadian company’s operations abroad.

Responsible business conduct (RBC) is about companies doing business responsibly in an economic, social and environmentally sustainable manner. It is conduct demonstrating respect for human rights at home and abroad, consistent with applicable laws and internationally recognized standards. RBC emphasizes:

• positive voluntary contributions that businesses can make to sustainable development and inclusive growth
• avoiding negative impacts including on human rights, and addressing them when they do occur.

For more information is available at Responsible Business Conduct Abroad.

The CORE promotes the United Nations (UN) Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises. The Guiding Principles and the Guidelines apply to Canada and to Canadian companies operating abroad including in the garment, mining, and oil and gas sectors. The UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights are a set of guidelines for States and companies to prevent, address and remedy human rights abuses arising from business operations.

The OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises are recommendations to multinational enterprises operating in or from countries that have committed to the guidelines. They provide non-binding principles and standards for responsible business conduct around the world, consistent with applicable laws and internationally recognised standards. The Guidelines are the only multilaterally agreed and comprehensive code of responsible business conduct that governments have committed to promoting.