“The development of extractive resources is one of the most effective tools for eradicating poverty in developing countries,” according to Canada’s Minister of International Development Christian Paradis.
In a statement released on Monday (October 6) the Minister announced Canada’s support for three projects aimed at helping developing countries “stimulate private sector-led growth and create the conditions to maximize the benefits of their resource wealth.”
“Canada’s support enhances the capacity of developing countries to manage their extractive resource sectors, creating jobs and providing governments with revenue to deliver services to their citizens and enabling communities to maximize the benefits of the oil, gas and the mining sectors,” said the Minister.
Some non-governmental agencies and church groups have criticized Canada’s extractive industries and their record in developing countries.
In April of this year three clerics wrote: “While a number of mining companies have taken steps to improve their corporate social responsibility, there are still disturbing gaps, particularly in how some companies relate to the indigenous communities on whose land most of their activities take place.”
The national non-profit group Mining Watch Canada, writing in May of this year about Canada’s Corporate Social Responsibility strategy for the Extractive Sector, concluded: “The government’s failure to meet even these modest goals result from the fact that they are subservient to its prevailing economic objectives, prioritizing the promotion and protection of the interests of Canadian extractive companies operating overseas. This focus on promoting corporate interests is responsible for key flaws of the Strategy, such as its entirely voluntary nature, the weak mandate of the CSR Counsellor, and the use of Official Development Assistance as a corporate subsidy and to support the social acceptability or “social licence” of Canadian companies’ operations.”
More information:
Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada press release – Canada’s leadership in the extractive resource sector is helping to fight global poverty – here
Chronicle Herald – As Christians, we are challenged to condemn mining abuses – here
Mining Watch Canada – Canada’s Corporate Social Responsibility Strategy Up in the Air Yet Again – here
For reasons beyond our control, and for an undetermined period of time, our comment section is now closed. However, our social networks remain open to your contributions.