Canada Eliminates the Office of the Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise During the Ratification Process of a Trade Agreement with Ecuador, in Which Communities and Organizations Have Neither Been Consulted Nor Involved in Impact Assessments
The following statement was published originally in Spanish here.
The Government of Canada recently eliminated the office of the Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise (CORE). The Americas Policy Group (APG), a national network of Canadian civil society organizations working to advance human rights and environmental justice, has strongly criticized this decision. It has emphasized that communities affected by the overseas operations of Canadian companies deserve more accountability, not less. APG further stated that, rather than eliminating the Ombudsperson's Office, the government should have strengthened its independence and investigative powers so that it could effectively examine allegations of human rights abuses and environmental harm. The group noted that this decision leaves workers, Indigenous Peoples, and affected communities with fewer avenues to seek justice and undermines Canada's commitment to responsible business conduct.
In 2025, the APG – together with 28 prominent Canadian organizations – sent a letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney urging him not to ratify the controversial free trade agreement negotiated in 2024 by the government of Justin Trudeau with Ecuador, whose objective is to increase Canadian mining investment in the country. The organizations expressed their deep concern about the worsening human rights situation and the threats facing Ecuador's ecologically sensitive areas. The group also highlighted that the Alliance for Human Rights in Ecuador had raised concerns about the secretive nature of the negotiations.
As the Alliance for Human Rights in Ecuador, we note that in response to a request for access to the negotiated text submitted in April 2025, the Government of Ecuador confirmed that the negotiations were confidential, citing Resolution No. MPCEIP-MPCEIP-2024-0008-R of August 15, 2024. Furthermore, no prior human rights impact assessment has been conducted for the trade agreement. Nor have communities, Indigenous Peoples, or civil society organizations participated in the negotiation process, as demonstrated by the Ecuadorian government's complete failure to provide information that would enable meaningful public review and assessment.
As Ecuadorian civil society organizations, we also warn that the elimination of Canada's Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise is a troubling indication of the obstacles that people affected by the operations of Canadian companies in Ecuador are likely to face if the Canada–Ecuador Trade Agreement is ratified and Canadian investments receive enhanced legal protections in the country.
