Bill C-571: An Act respecting corporate practices relating to the purchase of minerals from the Great Lakes Region of Africa

C-571 Third Session, Fortieth Parliament, 59 Elizabeth II, 2010 HOUSE OF COMMONS OF CANADA BILL C-571 An Act respecting corporate practices relating to the purchase of minerals from the Great Lakes Region of Africa first reading, September 30, 2010 Mr. Dewar 403206 SUMMARY This enactment requires Canadian companies to exercise due diligence before purchasing minerals that originate in the Great Lakes Region of Africa to ensure that no illegal armed group has benefited from any transaction involving those minerals. It also requires the Extractive Sector Corporate Social Responsibility Counsellor to identify, in the Counsellor's annual report to the Minister for International Trade, those Canadian extractive sector companies that the Counsellor has reasonable grounds to believe are not practicing corporate social responsibility in the Great Lakes Region of Africa. Also available on the Parliament of Canada Web Site at the following address:http://www.parl.gc.ca .vis1 {position: absolute;display:block;} .vis2 {position: static;} 3rd Session, 40th Parliament, 59 Elizabeth II, 2010 house of commons of canada BILL C-571 An Act respecting corporate practices relating to the purchase of minerals from the Great Lakes Region of Africa SHORT TITLE Short title 1. This Act may be cited as the Trade in Conflict Minerals Act. INTERPRETATION Definitions 2. The following definitions apply in this Act. “company”« entreprise » “company” means any corporation or legal person incorporated by or under an Act of Parliament or the legislature of a province. “Extractive Sector Corporate Social Responsibility Counsellor”« conseiller en responsabilité sociale des entreprises de l’industrie extractive » “Extractive Sector Corporate Social Responsibility Counsellor” means the special adviser to the Minister for International Trade appointed by the Governor in Council under Order-in-Council P.C. 2009-422 to review, on an ongoing basis, the corporate social responsibility practices of Canadian extractive sector companies operating outside Canada. “Great Lakes Region of Africa”« région des Grands Lacs africains » “Great Lakes Region of Africa” means the region in Africa that is comprised of Burundi, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania. DUE DILIGENCE Due diligence 3. Before a company makes a purchase of any minerals that originate in the Great Lakes Region of Africa, it shall practice due diligence by (a) tracking the supply chain of the minerals from extraction to final utilization; (b) monitoring transactions that have occurred in relation to the minerals as they have moved along the supply chain to determine whether any monetary payments have been made to illegal armed groups in connection with that movement; (c) refusing to purchase any minerals that are derived from property from which rents have been collected by illegal armed groups; and (d) implementing whatever strategies are necessary in order to avoid participating in transactions that result in monetary gain to illegal armed groups that are collecting rents from property related to the supply chain. ANNUAL REPORT Annual report 4. The Extractive Sector Corporate Social Responsibility Counsellor shall, in the Counsellor’s annual report to the Minister for International Trade (a) identify those Canadian extractive sector companies that the Counsellor has reasonable grounds to believe are not practicing corporate social responsibility in the Great Lakes Region of Africa; and (b) include any evidence in the Counsellor’s possession that supports this belief. Published under authority of the Speaker of the House of CommonsAvailable from:Publishing and Depository ServicesPublic Works and Government Services Canada