Nathan Andrews and J. Andrew Grant,eds. Corporate Social Responsibility and Canada’s Role in Africa’s Extractive Sectors

Reviewed by: David J. Hornsby (david.hornsby@carleton.ca), Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada.

Amidst the backdrop of the recent Canadian Supreme Court ruling that held that Canadian corporations are accountable for their actions abroad, ² the publication of Andrews and Grant’s Corporate Social Responsibility and Canada’s Role in Africa’s Extractive Sectors feels timely and important. The book, which ties together a collection of provocative and empirically rich contributions from a group of scholars who maintain a deep understanding of this area, considers just how Canadian corporate interests and foreign policy actions intersect and play out within Sub-Saharan Africa. By focusing on the concept of corporate social responsibility and actions of the Canadian extractive sector, a deep-dive into an important element of Canada’s foreign economic engagements is laid bare, and reminds readers that the extractive sector is big business for Canada and constitutes a significant portion of the political and economic relationship with African states. It also serves as a healthy reminder that the Canadian extractive sector operating abroad could benefit from some public oversight and mechanisms to promote ethical behaviour more consistently.

This volume is welcome as it unearths (pun intended) the extent to which official Canadian aspirations to be a good international citizen, particularly under the Trudeau government, are mediated and contested by the actions and interests of private enterprise. Two questions guide the contribution of this volume: (a) To what extent does (and should) the Canadian government monitor, supervise, and enforce the aspirational goals embedded in the term “corporate social responsibility”? and (b) To what extent does the behaviour of Canadian mining companies affect or compromise the reputation of Canadian foreign policy? Organized into four sections, the contributors respond to these questions through a series of case studies that navigate the notion of corporate social responsibility, how it is manifested or not, and linked to good governance, human security, and developmental agendas.

Chapters by Idemudia, Compaoré, and Kwakyewah (Chapter 2), Johnston-Taylor (Chapter 3), and Campbell (Chapter 11) critically examine how corporate social responsibility norms have been embedded within policy and functions for the Canadian government and more broadly. Charting the evolution of these norms and how they are influencing the extractive sector, these authors offer both critique and ideas that will prove useful as official Canada seeks to set the normative framework within international institutions and for the Canadian extractive sector in practice going forward. Whilst Andrews and Grant (Chapter 1) acknowledge that the evolution of corporate social responsibility from a counsellor position within Global Affairs Canada to the Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise role is positive, they also note that more is needed to give associated norms teeth. Enns (Chapter 4), McSparren (Chapter 5), Butler (Chapter 7), and Alorse (Chapter 8) consider possibilities for global governance in this space. In light of the Supreme Court of Canada ruling that came after publication, a more robust set of policy and legal mechanisms within Canada is now both a possibility and forthcoming.

The book’s strength rests in a breadth and diversity of case studies that do not focus only on one region of the African continent but rather hone in on the multitude of places and spaces where Canadian private interests exist. The Sudan, Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Tanzania, and South Africa are some of the contexts examined in depth. Artisanal mining (Balag’Kutu, Chapter 6), local regimes governing extractive spaces (Orr, Chapter 9, Taodzera, Chapter 10, Butler, Chapter 7, and Alorse, Chapter 8), and normative frameworks such as the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights are also considered (Enns, Chapter 4, and McSparren, Chapter 5). The inclusion of a set of scholars who maintain significant ties to Africa and Canada also adds much to the contribution of this volume as reflections capture the depth of Canada’s role in the African extractive sector and the nuances of African political, developmental, and security issues that exist. It is refreshing to read a serious treatment on this issue that does not regard Africa as monolithic or homogeneous, nor Canadian activities as consistent or constant. Rather, the book tackles a set of important themes that, when applied to Canada’s role in the extractive sector across the African continent, highlights a set of corporate actions and government policy positions that are problematic but not without potential.

The volume concludes by considering the broader implications for Canadian foreign policy, particularly as it relates to the African region. For too long Canada has portrayed an image of a benevolent and significant partner to African states. At various points in Canadian foreign policy history, this might have been more accurate than it is now. Both Andrews and Grant (Chapter 12) are pragmatic on this score and see an opportunity in the natural resources and extractive sector space for Canada and African states to become closer (and better) partners. By growing and developing a set of norms around corporate social responsibility, the opportunity exists to craft a more meaningful (to all parties) set of engagements that advance development aspirations. This will require explicit investment, both politically and financially, on the part of Canada, which we have yet to see.

The challenges around establishing a common regime or normative approach to corporate social responsibility, particularly as it relates to mining and other extractive activities, is well debated in the literature. But this book makes a valuable contribution to both understanding the evolution of the debate, and critically assessing whether the promises and actions have been realized. On this score, progress has been mixed, and so much potential has yet to be realized—which has been the case for so long. But what is clear is that if official Canada wishes to improve relations with African states, greater attention will need to be paid to the role and behaviour of the Canadian extractive sector in the Sub-Saharan African region. Canadian foreign policy interests depend on it.