Compendium of Canadian CSR Projects in Africa INTRODUCTION A COMPENDIUM OF CANADIAN CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY INITIATIVES IN AFRICA* The Government of Canada encourages and expects all Canadian companies working around the world to respect all applicable laws and international standards, to operate transparently and in consultation with host governments and local communities, and to conduct their activities in a socially and environmentally responsible manner. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) refers to the way companies integrate social, environmental, and economic concerns into their values and operations in a transparent and accountable manner. The Government of Canada works with a host of stakeholders including Canadian businesses, civil society groups, foreign governments and local communities to address complex CSR issues, such as labour relations, environmental protection, bribery and corruption, and human rights. In March 2009, the Government of Canada announced a comprehensive CSR Strategy. Building the Canadian Advantage: a CSR Strategy for the Canadian International Extractive Sector will increase the competitiveness of Canadian extractive sector companies operating abroad by enhancing their ability to manage social and environmental risks. The four main pillars of the strategy are: 1) continuing support for host country capacitybuilding initiatives related to resource governance; 2) promotion of widelyrecognized international CSR performance guidelines; 3) creation of an Office of the Extractive Sector CSR Counsellor to assist in the resolution of issues pertaining to the activities of Canadian extractive sector companies abroad; and, 4) support for the development of a CSR Centre of Excellence to develop and disseminate highquality CSR tools, training and information to sector stakeholders. 1 In Africa, the presence of Canadian investment and business activities has grown substantially over the last decade; the reputation of Canadian CSR initiatives has also grown considerably. Canadian CSR partnerships in Africa are cited as examples of sustainable and constructive partnerships. Officials from both public and private sectors have expressed an interest in learning more about Canadian practices and involvement in the development of CSR programs. To this end, DFAIT has developed a compendium of best practices from Canadian companies operating in Africa. This showcase of Canadian practices aims to assist private and public sector organisations in the development of CSR programs and can identify potential partners to deliver such programs abroad. The compendium was researched and assembled by the Canadian Council for Africa (CCAfrica) under the leadership of the Africa Commercial Relations Division of DFAIT. The first chapter of the compendium includes twenty six CSR initiatives that are voluntary and separate from of the companies’ commercial project. The organizations presented in this section are involved in business activities in various sectors of the economy such as mining, agriculture and agrifood, financial services and consumer products and are not specialized in any way in social or economic development. The CSR initiatives developed by INTRODUCTION these companies cover a wide range of areas such as education, health, gender equity, micro-finance and water and forest management. The second chapter outlines sixteen projects that were submitted to CCAfrica by companies/organizations already specializing in the social and environmental development sector. It has been observed, over the last few years, that successful CSR programs have been implemented by companies in partnerships with these types of organizations. Hence, a section featuring social and economic development projects developed by several Canadian organizations is included as reference for companies whose expertise in this field is limited. It is important to note, that this compendium includes only a sample of CSR projects currently being conducted in Africa by Canadian companies. We hope that these projects will demonstrate where the commitment and the importance that Canadian companies place on local social and economic development in the communities where they operate. The Commercial Relation Division with Africa would be interested in receiving your feedback and comments with regard to this compendium. We would be grateful if you could complete and return the questionnaire on the next page. Thank you for your collaboration. * This publication has been prepared from information supplied by the organizations listed 2 herein. While the Trade Commissioner Service of Canada believes the information to be accurate, we cannot guarantee its accuracy. This publication is for information purposes, and is not intended to constitute an endorsement by the Government of Canada of any of the organizations mentioned. INTRODUCTION QUESTIONNAIRE The compendium of CSR practices in Africa could be considered as a pilot project. 1) Do you support the idea of assembling other compendia for other regions in the world? Yes _____ No _____. 2) Did you gain a better understanding of Canadian achievements in CSR in Africa? Yes _____ No _____. 3) Is the compendium helpful for finding partners for CSR activities? 4) How useful for you are these past and present examples of Canadian-led CSR initiatives? 5) How would you improve this pilot project? Comments: 3 Send your responses by fax at (613) 947-8390 to the attention of “GFC”. For questions phone 613 944 6589. 4 TABLE OF CONTENTS Table of Contents Part I – Corporate Social Responsibility Projects Sub‐Saharan Africa Lundin Group ‐ Lundin For Africa ..................................................................................................................... 8 Burkina Faso Etruscan Resources Inc.................................................................................................................................... 9 Flash Beauté Inc............................................................................................................................................... 10 SEMAFO Burkina Faso SA............................................................................................................................... 11 Cameroon Afrique Expansion – Africa 2005 Relais du Canada......................................................................................... 12 Congo MagIndustries Corp .......................................................................................................................................... 13 Congo, Democratic Republic of Banro Corporation ............................................................................................................................................ 14 PharmAfrican - Biotechnology for Sustainable Development in Africa Foundation .......................................... 15 Ghana Red Back Mining Inc......................................................................................................................................... 16 Rio Tinto Alcan - Ghana Bauxite Company ...................................................................................................... 17 5 Lesotho Lucara DiamondCorp........................................................................................................................................ 18 Madagascar Rio Tinto QIT Madagascar Minerals ................................................................................................................. 19 Sherritt International Corporation...................................................................................................................... 20 SNC-Lavalin Inc................................................................................................................................................ 21 Niger Etruscan Resources Inc.................................................................................................................................... 22 South Africa Bombardier Inc. - Transportation ...................................................................................................................... 23 Cordiant Capital Inc .......................................................................................................................................... 24 McCain Foods SA............................................................................................................................................. 25 Tanzania Artumas Group Inc - Artumas Africa Foundation.............................................................................................. 26, 27 Barrick Gold Corporation .................................................................................................................................. 28, 29, 30, 31, 32 Kabanga Nickel Company Limited.................................................................................................................... 33 Zambia Equinox Minerals - Lumwana Mining Company ............................................................................................... 34 TABLE OF CONTENTS Part II – Socially Related Projects Sub‐Saharan Africa University of Victoria, B.C. - Early Childhood Development Virtual University (ECDVU)................................ 36 Algeria Développement International Desjardins (Caisse Populaire Desjardins Group Initiative)................................ 37 Burkina Faso École Polytechnique de Montréal....................................................................................................................