October 24, 2017: Reconciliation: A New Relationship for Investors

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada called upon the corporate sector in Canada to adopt the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples as a reconciliation framework and apply its principles, norms, and standards to corporate policy. This included specific reference to obtaining the free, prior and informed consent of Aboriginal peoples before proceeding with economic development projects. The Commission also recommended that businesses “ensure that Aboriginal peoples have equitable access to jobs, training, and education opportunities in the corporate sector, and that Aboriginal communities gain long-term sustainable benefits from economic development projects.”

The panel will discuss the role Canadian investors can play in supporting public companies as they address these recommendations and work to build new relationships with Indigenous communities in Canada.

Join Stephanie Bertels, Director of the Centre for Corporate Governance and Sustainability, and Christie Stephenson, the Executive Director of the Dhillon Centre for Business Ethics, and our panelists:

• Max Skudra, Director of Research and Government Relations, Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business
• Cynthia Callison, founding partner of Callison & Hanna law firm, which helps Indigenous communities negotiate innovative agreements
• Peter Chapman, Executive director of SHARE (the Shareholder Association for Research and Education), which recently released a report on business and reconciliation
• Heather Lawrence, Global Manager of Indigenous Affairs, Teck Resources