International Covenant Civil Political Rights and Written Answers

written answers: This is a catch-all ASF view; only displays when an unsupported article type is put in an ASF drop zone Canada had provided lengthy written answers last month to 24 questions on the implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, including how it monitors the human rights conduct of Canadian resource companies operating abroad, some of which face lawsuits alleging abuse, according to Globe and Mail. In its written answers, Canada said it strongly encourages companies to implement corporate social responsibility measures, and if they don’t the government will withhold trade advocacy support in foreign markets. The sharp difference of opinion was one of several flashpoints between Canada and the UN Human Rights Committee, which wrapped three days of hearings Wednesday in Geneva. But the committee pressed for more details on that and other subjects during the in-person appearance by the Canadian delegation, led by a senior Justice Department official. That means that in the government view the treaty applies to Canadians in Canada, but not those working in foreign countries. In its testimony, the delegation appeared to shock the sensibilities of the 18-member committee when it evoked the principle of extra-territoriality for the employees of the 800 Canadian companies operating in Latin America, Africa and Asia. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.