Traditionally considered under the purview of voluntary
Corporate Social Responsibility ("
CSR"),
Environmental, Social and Governance
("
ESG") norms or "soft law",
addressing human rights concerns when doing business abroad is
quickly becoming a legal imperative for companies engaged in supply
chain management across all industries and sectors, including
retail and consumer products, technology, financial services,
mining, oil and gas, and manufacturing.
Following the recent global regulatory focus on supply chain
risks and related compliance strategies, Global Affairs Canada
("
GAC") and the Canadian Trade
Commission Service have issued several measures (the
"
Measures"), along with a related advisory (the
"
Advisory") to Canadian businesses