Canada shuts down corporate watchdog. Critics say its replacement lacks teeth

Canada shut down the Office of the Canadian Ombudsman for Responsible Enterprise this June, after Prime Minister Mark Carney left the post vacant for over a year and then declared the office ineffective. Its caseload of 24 active and three pending complaints, involving allegations against Canadian mining, garment, and oil and gas companies operating abroad, was handed to the National Contact Point, a 26-year-old body that has produced only three formal joint agreements out of 33 cases since 2000.

Global Affairs Canada says the National Contact Point will continue its work with an enhanced staff complement, up from two dedicated staff since 2017. Critics, including MiningWatch Canada's Catherine Coumans, note the NCP cannot conduct independent investigations or make findings of fact, the very powers CORE was created to fill in for.

Among those affected is John Namegabe Bugabo, a Congolese human rights defender representing residents allegedly evicted near the Kibali gold mine, 45% owned by Canada's Barrick Mining Corp. He and at least two other complainants have refused to transfer their cases back to the NCP, having already tried that route once with no result. Barrick has denied any role in the evictions.

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