Canada: Export Development Canada (EDC) | Compliance Officer (CO)
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Overview
Accountability Counsel advocates for Export Development Canada’s Compliance Officer to be as effective as possible for communities, meaning that it must be independent, legitimate, fair, transparent, predictable, and accessible.
Export Development Canada (EDC)
Created In: 1944
Headquarters: Ottawa, Canada
Mission: To support and develop Canada’s export trade by helping Canadian companies respond to international business opportunities.
The Accountability Office: Compliance Officer (CO)
Established in: 2002
Functions: Compliance review
Export Development Canada (EDC) is Canada’s export credit agency. It provides risk management and financial support to Canadian exporters and companies investing abroad. The EDC has a framework of environmental and social policy documents that guide their operations and the requirements of their clients. It has an accountability office called the Compliance Officer, or CO.
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Resources
Export Development Canada (EDC)
Created In: 1944
Headquarters: Ottawa, Canada
Mission: To support and develop Canada’s export trade by helping Canadian companies respond to international business opportunities.
The Accountability Office: Compliance Officer (CO)
Established in: 2002
Functions: Compliance review
The Accountability Office
EDC’s Compliance Officer (CO) provides a mechanism for resolving complaints through either dispute resolution and mediation or a compliance audit to determine if EDC is following its corporate social responsibility practices and policies. Any individual or group may submit a complaint to EDC’s Compliance Officer when they have been, or are likely to be, affected by EDC’s policies on public disclosure of information, environmental reviews, human rights, and business ethics.
Within a “reasonable” amount of time, the Compliance Officer will let you know whether your complaint is eligible. If eligible, the Officer will use a preliminary assessment to determine which method to use to handle the complaint (such as dialogue, facilitation or negotiation). If the issue is not resolved, the Compliance Officer can make a recommendation to EDC’s Board of Directors about future action that should be taken to address the concerns raised in the complaint. If a compliance audit is recommended, the audit will be performed by the EDC’s internal auditor or an external third party at the oversight of the Compliance Officer.
For more information, see our Accountability Resource Guide or visit the EDC CO’s website.
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