Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thanks to the members of the subcommittee for your invitation. I appreciate your interest in the work we do and I'm eager to answer your questions.
Our office is the first of its kind in the world. I think Canadians should be proud of this, as well of our commitment to protect human rights abroad. In short, CORE, or the Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise, is the name under which we are known. Our mandate consists in investigating potential human rights violations in the context of the activities of Canadian businesses abroad in the clothing, mining, oil and gas sectors.
We are independent, impartial and transparent in our work. We are required to make public reports. We also have tools to initiate reviews, carry out investigations, conduct meditations and, if necessary, make proactive recommendations to the Minister of International Trade.
The idea of the CORE was announced by government in 2018. I was appointed to my role more than a year later. Our team is currently concluding what we consider our start-up phase. We are working from a blank slate. We are the first of our kind in the world. That meant consulting widely.
We engaged with more than 200 stakeholders. We developed and refined our operating procedures. We published policy briefs and statements. We listened to ensure that we were building an office that will make a positive difference in the world. Now, this winter, we have arrived at an important time for our team and for our mission.
In the coming weeks, we will be launching an online complaints portal. It's a way for people and communities to reach out to us. Anyone, anywhere in the world and at any time will be able to lodge a complaint by computer, phone, online form, email and even by letter. The online portal is easy to use. When a complaint is filed, it can be done so anonymously. If people or communities have an issue, they can make their voices heard and we will respond.
As with any new body or agency, the creation of CORE has prompted a lot of enthusiasm, but also a range of questions.
Specifically, I am often asked whether we have the tools we need to do our work. I would like my answer to be very clear.
I believe our office can make a real and positive difference now. We can respond to complaints and initiate reviews. We can engage in mediation and publish our findings. We can make recommendations for action and publicly issue follow-up reports on their implementation. In other words, we can help Canada promote and protect human rights, full stop.
I have tremendous pride in what CORE is doing and great belief in our potential. We are eager to begin our investigative work. Canadians expect their companies to respect human rights no matter where they operate. The creation of our office represents another example of Canadian leadership on the international stage.
Thank you. I look forward to our discussion.