Background

The Office of the Extractive Sector Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Counsellor was established in 2009 as part of the Government of Canada’s CSR Strategy for the Canadian International Extractive Sector. The Office of the CSR Counsellor has an advisory role, and a dispute resolution role. Our advisory work focuses on implementation of the voluntary performance standards endorsed in the CSR Strategy, and dispute reduction and prevention. Our dispute resolution mechanism, called the Review Process, promotes dispute resolution through dialogue and joint problem-solving between Canadian companies and people directly affected by extractive projects overseas.

Marketa Evans was appointed as the first Extractive Sector Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Counsellor in October 2009. The Minister of International Trade issued a press release about the appointment. The Office opened in Toronto in March 2010.

The Government of Canada’s CSR Strategy

The Government of Canada’s CSR Strategy for the Canadian International Extractive Sector was announced in March 2009. This Office was created as a result of that Strategy. The Strategy seeks to improve the competitive advantage and reputation of Canada’s extractive sector companies operating overseas by enhancing their ability to manage social and environmental risks.

The Strategy is based on four integrated and complementary elements:

• Support for host-country capacity-building initiatives related to resource governance;
• Promotion of widely recognized international Corporate Social Responsibility performance guidelines;
• Support for the development of a Corporate Social Responsibility Centre for Excellence to develop and disseminate high-quality Corporate Social Responsibility tools and training to stakeholders; and
• Creation of an Extractive Sector Corporate Social Responsibility Counsellor to assist in the effective and impartial resolution of issues pertaining to the activities of Canadian companies abroad.