The Data Room

The Honourable Maninder Sidhu
Minister of International Trade
House of Commons
Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6
September 30, 2025

Subject: Strengthening the Canadian Ombudsman for Responsible Enterprise (CORE)
Dear Minister Sidhu,

Saving Okavango’s Unique Life (SOUL) represents Namibian Civil Society organisations and communities affected by Canadian oil company ReconAfrica. On April 9, 2024, the International Human Rights Program at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law (IHRP) filed a complaint on behalf of harmed communities represented by SOUL with the CORE against Calgary-based oil and gas company Reconnaissance Energy Africa Ltd. (ReconAfrica) detailing serious allegations of human rights abuses and environmental misconduct.

We are seeking clarification as to the status of the CORE office and when we may anticipate the Government of Canada to fulfill its obligation regarding our complaint. To date, ReconAfrica’s oil exploration activities have damaged homes, devastated subsistence crops, and destroyed land, illegally and without the consent of local Indigenous communities. They have demonstrated a complete lack of concern for the impact that their actions have on the fundamental rights of the local communities and the protected species that will be driven closer to extinction.

When we asked the CORE to address our complaint, we did so with the understanding that the office represented the government’s commitment to human rights and that it was created for the express purpose of providing accountability to communities like ours. As such, we conferred this new office with our trust and worked tirelessly, as an organization run by volunteers, to engage in good faith with the CORE and submit an 187-page complaint, while continuing to endure the impacts of ReconAfrica’s activities and only to be met with a process that failed to function as promised.

CORE’s mandate stipulates that it will inform complainants of its admissibility within 30 days of receipt. It has been almost a year and a half since our complaint has been stuck at the intake stage and there is no Ombudsperson to carry cases forward. Worse still, when we filed our complaint, it was recommended that we refrain from communicating with the media while the CORE contemplated whether to accept our complaint. Had we fully heeded this suggestion, it would have meant refraining from campaigning and rallying public support on this critical human rights issue for over a year, while we waited for the CORE to complete its intake process.

These actions undermine the office’s claim to independence, as they seem
to only serve ReconAfrica’s interest in continuing business as usual without public scrutiny by rightsholders. Media advocacy is one of the key avenues that help keep our communities safe. We are deeply concerned that the Canadian government would ask affected communities to place their safety and well-being at risk to engage a process that has not been in operation for over a year. This not only undermines the government’s own stated commitment to human rights and responsible business conduct but also erodes trust in this institution, which already suffered critiques as to its effectiveness.

We are deeply concerned that the complaint we were directed to file may never be adequately heard or investigated by the CORE, despite representations by the Canadian government to the contrary and the tremendous effort, resources, and time expended by small civil society organizations. By failing to ensure an effective and credible process, the Canadian government is sending a message to African communities that Canadian mining companies may operate with impunity, in a manner consistent with colonial practices.

The CORE has the potential to be a vital mechanism for accountability and justice, but only if it is fully operational, independent, and empowered to act. Strengthening and resourcing the office is essential to give affected communities a real avenue for redress and to ensure Canada lives up to its stated commitment to human rights.

We look forward to your reply.
SOUL, Saving Okavango’s Unique Life,
Windhoek Namibia