Ryerson CSR Institute Zoom Session: In conversation with the Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise, Sheri Meyerhoffer

The Institute for the Study of Corporate Social Responsibility at Ryerson University* is pleased to present an online interactive zoom session, In Conversation with the Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise, Sheri Meyerhoffer (details below), on Wednesday, March 16, 2022 from 11:00 am to 12:30 pm (Toronto time).

The Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise (CORE) is a human rights ombudsperson that looks into possible human rights abuses by Canadian companies when those companies work outside Canada in the garment, mining, and oil and gas sectors. Ms. Sheri Meyerhoffer was appointed to this position on April 8, 2019, and she established the office of the Ombudsperson at the beginning of May 2019.

The CORE is funded by the Canadian federal government, but is independent from it, operating at arm’s length in an impartial manner. It is focused on holding Canadian garment, mining and oil and gas companies to account, with a mandate to work with complainants and companies in a collaborative fashion where possible, through mediation and dialogue, while recognizing that in some cases, action needs to be mandated and remedies need to be put in place.

Operating alongside other mechanisms and entities involved in addressing human rights issues, such as Ministries, the courts and OECD MNE National Contact Points, the CORE is a new kind of democratic innovation, based on the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, focused on providing a non-judicial grievance mechanism to review business-related human rights abuses and recommend remedies. The CORE also has a mandate to promote responsible business conduct and respect for human rights, provide sector-wide advice to Canadian companies, carry out reviews into systemic human rights abuses, and make recommendations to the Minister of International Trade.

The March 16 Ryerson CSR Institute “in conversation” session with Ms. Meyerhoffer is intended to provide further elaboration on the CORE’s distinctive mandate and approach, its operation so far, its relationship with other actors and entities involved in addressing human rights issues, and upcoming challenges and opportunities.

Ms. Meyerhoffer is a Canadian lawyer with seventeen years experience in the upstream oil and gas industry, and thirteen years experience in international governance, rule of law and human rights. She has worked in Bhutan, Bolivia, Cuba, China, India, Jamaica, Myanmar, Nepal, Russia and the USA. Ms. Meyerhoffer has a Juris Doctor from the University of Saskatchewan and is a graduate of the Harvard Kennedy School with a Master in Public Administration and Certificate in Management, Leadership and Decision Sciences.

Moderating the session will be Dr. Kernaghan Webb, Director of the Ryerson CSR Institute and a Law and Business professor in Ryerson University's Ted Rogers School of Management who is also cross appointed to the Law Faculty.

The talk is co-sponsored by the Ryerson Corporate Social Responsibility Student Association, the Ryerson Commerce and Government Association, and the Ryerson Law and Business Student Association.  Although everyone is welcome to attend the zoom session and there is no cost for patching in, to attend you must first register by clicking HERE (external link)   and then pressing the green "register" button

On Wednesday, March 16 at 11 am (Toronto time) click HERE (external link)  to patch in for the zoom session. Note the 11 am start time.