The decade-old battle for a truly independent watchdog over Canadian mining and other businesses with operations abroad isn’t over, according to Development and Peace advocacy and research officer Elana Wright.

Canada has a new ombudsperson for corporate responsibility abroad, 15 months after the government announced it was creating the post. But unions and NGOs are reacting angrily to uncertainty and limitations over the ombudsperson’s powers to investigate human rights abuses.

Church agencies in Latin America and the Philippines are cautiously welcoming Ottawa’s move to set up a Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise who will have power to investigate human rights abuses and environmental damage associated with Canadian-owned or operated mines abroad.