The activities of Nike and a Canadian mining company in China are under investigation by a new independent federal agency over allegations of the use of forced Uyghur labor in supply chains.
“These companies, Nike Canada Corp. (Nike) and Dynasty Gold Corporation (Dynasty Gold) had or allegedly had supply chains or activities in the People’s Republic of China that were defined as exploiting or profiting from forced Uyghur labor,” says OCR.
Established in 2019, CORE is a new federally appointed office tasked with investigating and reporting on “both corporate conduct and human rights” for “possible human rights violations arising from its operations, including its supply chains.” Complaints.
CORE’s surveys focus on Canadian companies “in the apparel, mining, oil and gas sectors that operate outside of Canada.”
The Nike Canada and Dynasty Gold investigations are based on a total of 13 complaints filed in June 2022 by a coalition of 28 organizations.
In the case of Nike Canada, “the company claims that it no longer has any connection with these companies and has provided information on its due diligence practices,” reports OCRE.
“I have decided to launch an investigation into these complaints to establish the facts and recommend action to be taken,” said Office Ombudsman Sheri Meyerhoffer. “I did not anticipate the outcome of the investigation. We will await the results and publish the final reports along with my recommendations.”
The mining company, in turn, told OCRE “that it has no operational control over the mine and that these allegations were made after it left the region.”
“OCRE has an important role to play, but more direct governance is also needed,” said conservative international development critic Garnett Genuis.
The latter demands that the government recognize the existence of a “genocide against the Uyghurs”. A motion to this effect had been adopted by Parliament, which was attended by a large majority of the Liberal group alongside the Cabinet of Ministers and Justin Trudeau.
“The Trudeau government must take this seriously and enact stricter rules in all areas to discourage investments and imports that contribute to the horrific violence against the Uyghur people,” Mr. Genuis continued.
Block member Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay “welcomes” OCRE’s initiative but believes the office is lacking teeth and needs to go beyond a simple investigation.
“OCRE, the first investigation in five years, needs to be given more powers, including the power to subpoena witnesses and compel companies to produce useful documents, so that their investigations are carried out to the end and the companies are truly able to “we are being compelled.” to respect human rights,” he explains.