Too many transnational companies violate the human rights of local communities and destroy their environment with impunity around the world. While trade and investment agreements provide these corporations with great privileges and power (including the power to sue host governments for public policies threatening their profit margins), they are not accompanied by mechanisms ensuring their accountability for harm caused by their activities.

In this panel, Alice Chipot (Réseau pour la responsabilité sociale des entreprises-RRSE) and Denis Côté (Association québécoise des organismes de coopération internationale-AQOCI)  will address the state of play in Canada in terms of corporate accountability by presenting proposed and recently adopted legislations, as well campaigns led by the Canadian Network on Corporate Accountability (CNCA) -  a network of 40 environmental, human rights, religious, labour and solidarity groups from across Canada, to ensure that Canadian companies respect human rights and the environment when working abroad.

A question and discussion period will take place after the presentations from the panelists.

The presentations will be in English but the panelists also speak French and can answer questions in that language.