Investing in Indigenous Peoples rights: The role of Canadian investors in driving responsible business conduct
Investing in Indigenous Peoples rights:
The role of Canadian investors in driving responsible business conduct
In the midst of the current global health crisis, Indigenous Peoples in Canada and globally are being been disproportionately impacted by the economic, social, and human impacts of the pandemic. Financial actors have a tremendous opportunity to support recovery and contribute to new systems that embed respect for Indigenous People’s rights, yet doing so requires that institutional investors take steps to ensure respect for Indigenous rights throughout their investment activities.
As business actors, institutional investors have a responsibility to respect human rights in line with the UN Guiding Principles Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) and the OECD’s guidance on Responsible Business Conduct for Institutional Investors. This expectation extends to respecting Indigenous Peoples rights under ILO 169 and the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), such as free, prior and informed consent (FPIC).
In practice, investors need to know the risks to human rights connected with their investment activities and show how they take action to manage those risks.
This panel forms part of the UN Working Group’s “UNGPs 10+” project, which seeks to chart a roadmap for action on business and human rights in the next decade. The panel discussion will:
Explore the concept of investor responsibility to respect Indigenous Peoples rights;
Highlight the ways in which investors may be involved with adverse impacts on Indigenous rights through their portfolio companies;
Discuss examples of investors and companies taking steps to respect Indigenous rights;
Identify key priorities and recommendations for investor action to advance business respect for Indigenous Peoples rights in Canada and abroad.
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This webinar is part of our RI Digital: Canada 2020 event. To view all sessions please click here.
Steel River Group brings these entities together under a shared vision and common goals and facilitates agreements, partnerships, and the creation of new companies. As a management entity, Steel River Group provides governance support to its group of companies as well as to its Ecosystem partners.
As Founder & CEO, Mr. Fequet drives Steel River Group’s vision by investing in relationships that build dedicated teams of likeminded individuals who support the process of collaborative engagement, foster the preservation of cultural and traditional values, and champion social sovereignty and economic sustainability for our people. Guided by the philosophy of people to people relationships, Mr. Fequet continues to expand Steel River Group’s presence throughout Canada for positive change.
Prior to joining SHARE, Shannon worked with the Johannesburg-based African Institute of Corporate Citizenship where she conducted research on responsible investment in Africa and helped to establish the Centre for Sustainability Investing. Shannon has conducted training with the International Finance Corporation and sat on the African Task Force of the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative.
First elected to public office in 2014, she served as Deputy Chief of her home community, the Cree First Nation of Waswanipi. She held the Finance, Administration, Housing and Mining negotiation portfolios. She held a seat on the Executive Committee and led files that included mandates in the implementation of financial management and strategic planning for the community. As negotiator holding the mining portfolio, she was heavily involved in ensuring a strong relationship with, and understanding of, the mining industry and the companies operating in the Cree territory. Taking on a mandate to develop the economic role of mining for the benefit of her community, she was key in engaging partnerships and developing Waswanipi as a key player in the mining industry. Her successes included the creation of successful community-owned joint ventures in Camp and Janitorial services, Drilling and Exploration, and a construction company. She was instrumental in establishing Waswanipi as a key player within its traditional territory, and ensuring that mining exploration would be carried out so as to be aligned with community concerns and environmental protection.
Mandy has also represented the community in its efforts to protect the last intact forest in the Cree territory. This included developing partnerships with various non-governmental organizations and presenting the community’s positions at various venues that showcased the importance of protected areas for the Cree community. She had the unique opportunity to present the community’s position at the Sustainable Fashion summit in New York City and also at the Skoll Foundation at Oxford University in England.
She has also served as a representative of her community on the Cree Nation Government’s Council.
