How Has Canada-Colombia Free Trade Affected Human Rights?

Official title: Public Consultations: Call for submissions regarding Canada’s Annual Report on Human Rights and Free Trade Between Canada and the Republic of Colombia

Closed Policy & Studies Economy & Jobs Justice & Rights
Canada and Colombia have a unique agreement requiring annual reports on how their free trade deal affects human rights. The government asked Canadians to share what they've observed about these impacts during 2024. This feeds into the 14th annual report that gets tabled in Parliament.

Why This Matters

Work in mining, oil, or agriculture with ties to Colombia? Your industry's practices get scrutinized in this report. Human rights advocates and researchers tracking labour conditions or environmental impacts in Colombia had a chance to put their findings on the official record.

What Could Change

The annual report gets tabled in Parliament, creating an official record of human rights concerns. While it doesn't directly change trade rules, it can influence future negotiations and put pressure on both governments to address documented issues.

Key Issues

  • What human rights impacts have resulted from Canada-Colombia free trade in 2024?
  • How have labour conditions in Colombia been affected by the trade agreement?
  • What environmental impacts in Colombia are linked to increased trade with Canada?

How to Participate

  1. Review the Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement and previous annual reports for context.
  2. Written submissions were accepted by email to nla@international.gc.ca until March 16, 2025.

Key Documents