Magister Legum - LLM

No / CSR within a purely voluntary context has so far not made meaningful contributions to the problem of corporate environmental and human rights abuses in Africa. The paper therefore aims to improve the effectiveness of CSR in the continent by making companies accountable for the veracity of statements they have voluntarily put out in the public domain. The paper adopts the stakeholder and legitimacy theories and information regulation as its framework of analysis. Following a discourse on the developments in and limitations of sustainability, the paper constructs an argument in line with these theories how these reports can still be utilised to make meaningful contribution towards strengthening CSR through accountability for false and misleading statements. Corporations have a stake in information in sustainability reports with regard to their corporate image and reputation. Therefore, under the appropriate framework, utilising corporate accountability for false and misleading statements by companies has promise for making CSR more effective. The main limitations of this research is the political will of national governments in Africa to undertake such an exercise and the relative ability of civil society groups in light of the power of corporations to effectively hold them to account through the models proposed. The paper is interdisciplinary, drawing upon both management and legal theories. A significant contribution of this research is its pragmatic approach which goes beyond calling for legal platform for CSR by recommending a model for accountability within the existing voluntary CSR framework.

This Master's thesis focuses on the possibilities of a global civil society to reduce the negative consequences of economic globalization. In the opening general part, special attention is given to problems caused by corporate strategies in production in developing countries. The current official mechanisms of corporate accountability are also discussed and considered as insufficient. Some new tendencies to promote the corporate social and environmental responsibility have emerged in recent decades. The agencies of a global civil society have been playing a very important role in these processes. The formation of a global civil society, its ambitions and risks are also studied in the general part of the thesis. The global civil society roles and possibilities of influencing the globalization processes are discussed also from the perspective of relevant theoretical concepts in the theoretical part. The empirical part of the thesis is based on a qualitative analysis of the campaign Business and Human Rights carried out by Czech global civil society organizations. The objective of this campaign is to prevent the corporations from human rights violation. Within the empirical research, the different spatial relations among the global civil society participants are studied, along with the evaluation of the...

The values and ethical aspects of CSR has received a large number of researcher attentionover the last decade and this study is focused on value of CSR in the context of bothSweden and Egypt. Results of this Quantitative research indicated that customers attentionand purchase decisions are motivated by CSR activities by corporations if people aware ofthe importance of CSR value.Customers are frequently mentioned as the key stakeholder group, that appears to beconcerned about a company's corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts. Also, thesubject frequently requires a balancing act between multiple stakeholder interests. Themain goal of this thesis research is to gain a better knowledge of the importance of CSRand customer perceptions in two countries: Sweden and Egypt. Furthermore, this researchsatisfies the need to understand the value of CSR in retailing supermarkets. The study wasconducted with the Swedish customers as the main country of the study and Egyptiancustomers as one of the largest eastern countries in the Middle East, the home country forone of the thesis authors too. The current literature on CSR in retailing supermarkets isstill in its infancy, allowing us to identify a research gap. Similar studies did not pay muchattention to the concept of CSR in the supermarket sector, or even the value of CSR in adeveloping country like Egypt. This study used a quantitative method to discover howcustomers in Sweden and Egypt value corporate social responsibility (CSR) in thesupermarket sector.We questioned customers in both countries (Sweden and Egypt) for the quantitativeportion of our study. We received 238 responses through our survey questions tounderstand what inspires them and what might influence their opinions about CSRinitiatives in supermarkets. Furthermore, we used the SPSS method tool to analyzewhether CSR efforts in supermarkets have a beneficial impact on customer perceptions ofCSR activities or not. Our findings suggest that CSR activities in supermarkets might be abeneficial strategy for enhancing customers' incentive to engage in green environmentalactions, such as Eco-friendliness, and hence can lead to better practices from customersthemselves in the future.

Jurisprudence / LL. D.

Lo studio si inserisce nel dibattito sul potere delle multinazionali e il rispetto dei diritti umani fondamentali e approfondisce i concetti di responsabilità sociale delle imprese (CSR) e della loro "accountability", inquadrando l'analisi nel contesto più ampio degli investimenti esteri diretti (FDI), con i relativi aspetti economici, tecnologici e sociali, nonché ambientali e politici. Si analizzano le norme internazionali in tema di rispetto dei diritti umani da parte delle aziende, ed i meccanismi legali per rendere le società "accountable", soprattutto in caso di complicità aziendali negli abusi perpetrati dagli Stati, anche attraverso la giurisprudenza dei tribunali penali internazionali e dei tribunali statunitensi. Viene data attenzione al settore della sicurezza, i.e. "Private Military and Security Companies" (PMSCs, interessato da notevole crescita negli ultimi decenni. Le PMSCs, impiegate da parte dei governi che esternalizzano una funzione tipicamente dello stato e da imprese e ONG attive in contesti difficili, hanno operato senza adeguato controllo. Le loro attività sollevano questioni su potenziali abusi dei diritti umani commessi dai propri dipendenti oltre che su violazioni dei diritti del lavoro subite dagli stessi. Le azioni ONU per portare le PMSCs fuori dalla 'zona legale grigia' in cui hanno operato vengono trattate insieme alle iniziative di autoregolamentazione. / The study, given the debate about the increasing power of corporations and the attempts to ensure their respect of fundamental human rights, deepens the concepts of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and corporate accountability, framing the analysis within the broader discourse of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), with its economic, technological and social aspects as well as environmental and political issues. International standards in the area of corporations’ human rights obligations are analyzed in addition to legal mechanisms to hold corporations accountable, particularly for corporate complicity in human rights abuses by States, through the jurisprudence of international criminal tribunals and U.S. Courts. Special attention is given to the security sector, i.e. Private Military and Security Companies (PMSCs), interested in the last decades by a steady growth. PMSCs, increasingly contracted by governments willing to outsource a typical state function and by companies and NGOs active in difficult contexts, have been operating without proper supervision and accountability. PMSCs activities raise issues concerning potential human rights violations committed by their employees and labour rights abuses their employees might suffer themselves. UN actions aimed at bringing PMSCs out of the legal ‘grey zone’ where they have been operating are tackled alongside with self-regulatory initiatives.

Abstracts in English, Southern Sotho and Swahili / The broad aim of this explanatory sequential mixed-methods study was to extend the extant literature by developing a weighted polychotomous accountability index (PAI) that, in turn, was used to measure and evaluate the extent and quality of integrated annual reports (IARs) prepared by the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) listed companies for the period 2013 to 2016. The study was motivated by a paucity of research on whether corporate accountability, through corporate reporting, has improved (extent and quality) under integrated reporting (<IR>) through improved integrated reporting quality (IRQ) scores. The study was conducted in two phases. The first phase was for developing the PAI through the Delphi Inquiry method. In the same phase, through qualitative and quantitative content analysis, the PAI was used to measure and evaluate the extent and quality of IARs for the JSE Top 100 companies over the four-year period (2013–2016). The second phase, in the form of semi-structured interviews, aimed at investigating the factors that contributed to the change in IRQ scores over that period. Eight respondents (preparers of IARs), representing five companies, were interviewed. Through the Delphi Inquiry method, the PAI was developed (major contribution of the study), which has eight categories, 44 constructs, a total possible score of 152 and a total weight of 100%. Furthermore, the PAI has a six-point ordinal scoring system from 0 to 5. For the IRQ scores, mean annual IRQ scores were computed as 52.45% for 2013, 58.48% for 2014, 64.72% for 2015 and 68.29% for 2016. As for the JSE sectors, the highest IRQ scores were 66.45%, 71.05%, 75% and 81.25% for 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016 respectively. From an industry perspective, the results showed highest IRQ scores of 66.45%, 72.37%, 70.72% and 62.42% for 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016 respectively. The steady increase in the mean IRQ scores for 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016 shows that there is significant improvement in the extent and quality of IARs produced by the JSE listed companies. This improvement in the IRQs is due to different reasons, which include: preparers taking <IR> seriously, teamwork, benchmarking, training, experience, addressing stakeholder needs and understanding the principles before implementing <IR>. Moreover, some companies fail to produce quality IARs due to a number of factors that include: an inadequate understanding of <IR> by some preparers of IARs; some entities not seeing value in preparing quality IARs hence they present poor quality IARs; partial buy-in, especially by the executive management; a paucity of skills and resources; outsourcing that was identified as bringing with it poor quality work and some entities preferring to chase prestigious awards at the expense of the company’s actual <IR> philosophy, hampering the quality of IARs in the process. Different conclusions were reached. It was noted that some <IR> concepts and principles should be more synchronised so that they are not in conflict with each other. Rules should be introduced so that <IR> may be a blend of principles and rules as this could minimise preparer judgement. The International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC) must align its terminology with that of other guideline bodies, such as rating agencies, to give more meaning to <IR>. The IIRC needs to improve <IR> in order to suit companies in the service industry. Integrated reporting has to be more compatible with the digital world and not necessarily paper based. More research must be done about what users need to see in IARs to enhance the relevance of the IAR to different stakeholders. Furthermore, the IIRC must proactively educate decision-makers for an improved buy-in of <IR>. Pertaining to transformation, de facto and de jure transformation remain merely theoretical without substantial changes on the ground. Government and the JSE should consider the nature of current disincentives since these seem not to sufficiently challenge the current status quo. Finally, more training on capitals and business models should be conducted in order to improve the quality of reporting since these two constructs are perceived to be complex and hence difficult to implement, especially through quantification. / Maikaelelo a a anameng a thutopatlisiso eno e e tlhalosang ya mekgwa e e tswakantsweng ya tatelano e ne e le go atolosa dikwalo tse di gona ka go dira tshupane ya maikarabelo ya polychotomous (PAI) e morago e neng ya dirisediwa go lekanyetsa le go sekaseka bogolo le boleng jwa dipegelo tsa ngwaga le ngwaga tse di golaganeng (diIAR) tse di rulaganngwang ke ditlamo tse di kwadisitsweng kwa Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) mo pakeng ya 2013 go fitlha 2016. Thutopatlisiso e rotloeditswe ke tlhaelo ya dipatlisiso tse di malebana le gore a maikarabelo a ditlamo, ka dipegelo tsa ditlamo, a tokafetse (bogolo le boleng) ka fa tlase ga dipegelo tse di golaganeng (<IR>) ka maduo a a tokafatseng a boleng jwa dipegelo tse di golaganeng (IRQ). Thutopatlisiso e dirilwe ka magato a le mabedi. Legato la ntlha e ne e le la go dira PAI ka mokgwa wa Delphi Inquiry. Mo legatong leo, ka tshekatsheko ya diteng go dirisiwa mokgwa o o lebelelang dipalopalo le o o lebelelang mabaka, go dirisitswe PAI go lekanyetsa le go sekaseka bogolo le boleng wa diIAR tsa ditlamo tse di kwa Godimo tse 100 tsa JSE mo pakeng ya dingwaga tse nne (2013–2016). Legato la bobedi, le le neng le le mo sebopegong sa dipotsolotso tse di batlileng di rulagana, le ne le ikaeletse go batlisisa dintlha tse di tshwaetseng mo diphetogong tsa maduo a IRQ mo pakeng eo. Go botsoloditswe batsibogi ba le robedi (barulaganyi ba diIAR), ba ba emetseng ditlamo di le tlhano. Ka mokgwa wa Delphi Inquiry, go tlhamilwe PAI (tshwaelo e kgolo ya thutopatlisiso), e e nang le dikarolo tse robedi, ka megopolo e le 44, maduo otlhe a a kgonagalang a 152 le boima jotlhe jwa 100%. Mo godimo ga moo, PAI e na le thulaganyo ya maduo ya dintlha tse thataro go tswa go 0 go ya go 5. Malebana le maduo a IRQ, palogare ya maduo a ngwaga le ngwaga a IRQ, e tlhakanyeditswe go nna 52.45% ka 2013, 58.48% ka 2014, 64.72% ka 2015 le 68.29% ka 2016. Malebana le maphata a JSE gona, maduo a a kwa godimodimo a IRQ e ne e le 66.45%, 71.05%, 75% le 81.25% ka 2013, 2014, 2015 le 2016 ka tatelano eo. Go ya ka indaseteri, dipoelo di bontshitse maduo a a kwa godimodimo a IRQ a 66.45%, 72.37%, 70.72% le 62.42% ka 2013, 2014, 2015 le 2016 ka tatelano eo. Koketsego ka iketlo ya palogare ya maduo a IRQ a 2013, 2014, 2015 le 2016 e bontsha gore go na le tokafalo e e bonalang mo bogolong le boleng jwa diIAR tse di tlhagisiwang ke ditlamo tse di kwadisitsweng mo JSE. Tokafalo eno ya diIRQ ke ka ntlha ya mabaka a a farologaneng, a a akaretsang: barulaganyi ba tsotelela <IR> thata, tirisanommogo ya setlhopha, go itshwantsha le ba bangwe, katiso, maitemogelo, go samagana le ditlhokego tsa baamegi le go tlhaloganya dintlhatheo pele ga go diragatsa <IR>. Mo godimo ga moo, ditlamo dingwe di palelwa ke go tlhagisa diIAR tsa boleng ka ntlha ya dintlha di le mmalwa tse di akaretsang: go tlhaloganya go go sa lekanang ga <IR> ke barulaganyi bangwe ba diIAR; ditheo dingwe di sa bone boleng jwa go baakanya diIAR tsa boleng mme seo se dira gore di tlhagise diIAR tsa boleng jo bo kwa tlase; tshegetso e e sa lekanang, bogolo segolo ya botsamaisikhuduthamaga; tlhaelo ya bokgoni le ditlamelo; theko ya ditirelo kwa ntle, e leng se se supilweng se tla ka boleng jo bo kwa tlase jwa tiro le ditheo dingwe di tlhopha go lelekisa dikgele tsa mabono mme di ikgatholosa filosofi ya nnete ya <IR> ya setlamo, mme ka go rialo di ama boleng jwa diIAR. Go fitlheletswe diphitlhelelo tse di farologaneng. Go lemogilwe gore megopolo mengwe le dintlhatheo tsa <IR> di tshwanetse go rulaganngwa ka tsamaisano gore di se ke tsa ganetsana. Go tshwanetse ga itsisewe melanwana gore <IR> e nne motswako wa dintlhatheo le melawana gonne seno se ka fokotsa go atlhola ga barulaganyi. Lekgotla la Boditšhabatšha la Dipegelo tse di Golaganeng (IIRC) le tshwanetse go lepalepanya mareo a lona le a ditheo tse dingwe tse di kaelang, go tshwana le ditheo tse di lekanyetsang, gore <IR> e nne le bokao jo bo oketsegileng. Lekgotla la IIRC le tshwanetse go tokafatsa <IR> gore e siamele ditlamo tse di mo indasetering ya ditirelo. Dipegelo tse di golaganeng di tshwanetse go tsamaelana le lefatshe la dijitale mme e seng fela gore e nne tse di mo dipampiring. Go tshwanetse ga dirwa dipatlisiso tse dingwe malebana le gore badirisi ba tlhoka go bona eng mo diIAR go tokafatsa bomaleba jwa IAR mo baameging ba ba farologaneng. Go feta foo, lekgotla la IIRC le tshwanetse go ruta batsayaditshwetso gore go nne le tshegetso e e tokafetseng ya <IR>. Malebana le diphetogo, diphetogo tse di gona le tsa tshwanelo e sala go nna tiori fela mme go se na diphetogo tse di bonalang. Puso le JSE ba tshwanetse go lebelela dintlha tsa ga jaana tse di kgobang marapo ka ntlha ya fa go sa bonale fa di gwetlha seemo sa ga jaana mo go lekaneng. Kwa bokhutlong, go tshwanetse ga dirwa katiso e nngwe ya letlotlo le dikao tsa kgwebo go tokafatsa boleng jwa go dira dipegelo ka ntlha ya fa megopolo eno e mebedi e lebega e le marara mme ka jalo go se bonolo go e diragatsa, bogolo segolo ka dipalo. / Ndivho khulwane ya ṱhalutshedzo iyi ya ngona yo ṱanganelanaho ya thevhekano ho vha u engedza maṅwalwa a zwino nga u bveledza indekisi ya vhuḓifhinduleli yo khethekanywaho (PAI) ine ya dovha ya, shumiswa u kala na u ela vhuphara na ndeme ya mivhigo ya ṅwaha nga ṅwaha yo ṱanganelanaho (dzi IAR) yo lugiswaho nga vha khamphani dzo ṅwaliswaho kha Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) lwa tshifhinga tsha vhukati ha 2013 u swika 2016. Ngudo dzo ṱuṱuwedzwa nga u shaea ha ṱhoḓisiso dza nga ha uri vhuḓifhinduleli, u mona na u vhiga ha tshiofisi ho no khwiṋisea na (vhuphara na ndeme) nga fhasi ha u vhiga ho ṱanganelanaho (<IR>) nga kha zwikoro zwa ndeme ya u vhiga ho ṱanganelanaho (IRQ). Ngudo dzo itwa fhethu huvhili nga maga mavhili. Ḽiga ḽa u thoma ḽo vha ḽi ḽa u bveledza PAI nga kha ngona dza Ṱhoḓisiso dza Delphi. Kha ḽiga ḽeneḽo, nga kha musaukanyo wa vhungomu wo sedzaho ndeme na tshivhalo, PAI yo shumiswa u kala na u ela vhuphara na ndeme ya dzi IAR kha khamphani dza 100 dza nṱha dza JSE kha tshifhinga tsha miṅwaha miṋa (2013–2016). Ḽiga ḽa vhuvhili nga tshivhumbeo tsha inthaviwu dzo dzudzanywaho zwiṱuku dzi sengulusaho zwivhumbi zwi dzhenelelaho kha tshanduko ya zwikoro zwa IRQ lwa tshifhinga. Vhafhinduli vha malo (vhadzudzanyi vha dzi IAR), vho imelaho khamphani ṱhanu vho vhudziswa. Nga kha Ngona ya Ṱhoḓisiso dza Delphi, ho bveledzwa PAI (zwidzheneleli zwihulwane kha ngudo), dzi re na khethekanyo dza malo, miṱalukanyo ya 44, ṱhanganyelo dza zwikoro zwine zwa nga vha hone zwa 152 na ṱhanganyelo ya tshileme ya 100%. Zwiṅwe hafhu, PAI dzi na sisiṱeme ya zwikoro ya odinaḽa zwa phoindi dza rathi u bva kha 0 u swika kha 5. U itela zwikoro zwa IRO, zwikoro zwa vhukati zwa ṅwaha nga ṅwaha zwo rekanywa zwa vha 52.45% nga 2013, 58.48% nga 2014, 64.72% nga 2015 na 68.29% for 2016. Kha sekithara dza JSE, zwikoro zwa nṱhesa zwa IRQ zwo vha zwi 66.45%, 71.05%, 75% na 81.25% nga 2013, 2014, 2015 na 2016 nga u tevhekana. U ya nga kuvhonele kwa nḓowetshumo, mvelelo dzo sumbedza zwikoro zwa nṱhesa zwa IRQ zwa 66.45%, 72.37%, 70.72% na 62.42% nga 2013, 2014, 2015 na 2016 nga u tevhekana. U gonya zwiṱuku kha zwikoro zwa vhukati zwa IRQ zwa 2013, 2014, 2015 na 2016 zwi sumbedza uri hu na u khwiṋisea hu hulwane kha vhuphara na ndeme ya dzi IAR dzo bveledzwaho vha khamphani dzi re kha JSE. U khwiṋisea uhu ha dzi IRQ ndi nga ṅwambo wa zwiitisi, zwine zwa katela vhadzudzanyi vha dzhielaho <IR> nṱha, u shuma sa thimu, u vhambedza, vhugudisi, tshenzhelo, u livhana na ṱhoḓea dza vhadzheneleli na u pfesesa milayo phanḓa ha musi i tshi shumiswa <IR>. Nṱhani ha izwo, dziṅwe khamphani dzi a kundelwa u bveledzwa dzi IAR nga ṅwambo zwa zwiitisi zwo vhalaho , zwi katelaho u sa pfesea lwo lingaho ha <IR> nga vhaṅwe vhadzudzanyi vha dzi IAR, zwiṅwe zwiimiswa zwi sa vhoni ndeme ya u ita dzi IAR dza ndeme zwa sia vha tshi bvledza dzi IAR dza ndeme i sa takadzi, u zwi ṱanganedza hu si nga mbilu dzoṱhe nga maanḓa vha vhalanguli vhahulwane; u shaea ha zwikili na zwiko; u ṱunḓa tshumelo nnḓa zwine zwo topolwa sa zwi ḓisaho mushumo wa ndeme i sa takadzi na zwiṅwe zwiimiswa zwi tshi funa u gidimisana na pfufho dza maimo hu sa dzhielwi nṱha fiḽosofi ya vhukuma ya <IR> dza khamphani, zwine zwa thivhela ndeme ya dzi IAR kha kuitele kwa zwithu. Ho swikelelwa khunyeledzo dzo fhambanaho. Ho vhonala uri miṅwe miṱalukanyo ya <IR> na milayo i tea u dzudzanywa u itela uri i sa vhe na khuḓano. Milayo i tea u ḓivhadzwa u itela uri <IR> dzi vha ṱhanganyelo ya milayo na maitele saizwi zwi tshi nga fhungudza khaṱhulo dza vhadzudzanyi. Khoro ya Dzitshakatshaka yo Ṱanganelanaho ya u Vhiga (IIRC) i tea u dzudzanya mathemo ayo na ayo a zwiimiswa nyendedzi, zwi nga ho sa mazhendedzi a u fhima, u ṋea ṱhalutshedzo ya khwiṋe kha <IR>. Vha IIRC vha tea u khwiṋisa <IR> u itela uri dzi elane na nḓowetshumo dza tshumelo. U vhiga ho ṱanganelanaho hu tea u elana vhukuma na ḽifhasi ḽa didzhithala nahone hu sa ḓisendeke nga bammbiri. Hu tea u itwa ṱhoḓisiso nga ha zwine vhashumisi vha vhona kha dzi IAR u khwaṱhisedza u tea ha IAR dza vhashumisani vho fhambanaho. Dziṅwe hafhu, IIRC i tea u funza vhadzhii vha tsheo lwo khwaṱhaho u itela u khwiṋisa u ḓidzhenisa kha <IR>. Zwi tshi elana na tshanduko, tshanduko ya de facto na ya de jure i sokou dzula i ya thyori hu si na tshanduko dzi vhonalaho ngeno fhasi. Muvhuso na JSE vha tea dzhiela nṱha lushaka lwa sa vha hone ha zwiṱuṱuwedzi saizwi izwi zwi tshi tou nga zwi ṋekedza khaedu lwo linganaho tshiimo tsha zwithu tsha zwino. Tsha u fhedzisela, vhugudisi kha zwiedza zwa pfuma na bindu vhu tea u itwa u itela u khwiṋisa ndeme ya u vhiga saizwi izwo zwifhaṱo zwivhili zwi tshi vhonala sa zwi konḓaho nahone zwi konḓaho u shumisa, nga maanḓa nga kha u vhekanya ndeme / Financial Accounting / D. Phil. (Accounting Sciences)

This thesis draws on David Harvey’s concept of “accumulation by dispossession” and an international political economy (IPE) approach centred on the institutional arrangements and power structures that privilege certain actors and values, in order to critique current capitalist practices of primitive accumulation by the global corporate extractive industry. The thesis examines how accumulation by dispossession by the global extractive industry is facilitated by the “free entry” or “free mining” principle. It does so by focusing on Canada as a leader in the global extractive industry and the spread of this country’s mining laws to other countries – in other words, the transnationalisation of norms in the global extractive industry – so as to maintain a consistent and familiar operating environment for Canadian extractive companies. The transnationalisation of norms is further promoted by key international institutions such as the World Bank, which is also the world’s largest development lender and also plays a key role in shaping the regulations that govern natural resource extraction. The thesis briefly investigates some Canadian examples of resource extraction projects, in order to demonstrate the weaknesses of Canadian mining laws, particularly the lack of protection of landowners’ rights under the free entry system and the subsequent need for “free, prior and informed consent” (FPIC). The thesis also considers some of the challenges to the adoption and implementation of the right to FPIC. These challenges include embedded institutional structures like the free entry mining system, international political economy (IPE) as shaped by international institutions and powerful corporations, as well as concerns regarding ‘local’ power structures or the legitimacy of representatives of communities affected by extractive projects. The thesis concludes that in order for Canada to be truly recognized as a leader in the global extractive industry, it must establish legal norms domestically to ensure that Canadian mining companies and residents can be held accountable when there is evidence of environmental and/or human rights violations associated with the activities of Canadian mining companies abroad. The thesis also concludes that Canada needs to address underlying structural issues such as the free entry mining system and implement FPIC, in order to curb “accumulation by dispossession” by the extractive industry, both domestically and abroad.

This thesis draws on David Harvey’s concept of “accumulation by dispossession” and an international political economy (IPE) approach centred on the institutional arrangements and power structures that privilege certain actors and values, in order to critique current capitalist practices of primitive accumulation by the global corporate extractive industry. The thesis examines how accumulation by dispossession by the global extractive industry is facilitated by the “free entry” or “free mining” principle. It does so by focusing on Canada as a leader in the global extractive industry and the spread of this country’s mining laws to other countries – in other words, the transnationalisation of norms in the global extractive industry – so as to maintain a consistent and familiar operating environment for Canadian extractive companies. The transnationalisation of norms is further promoted by key international institutions such as the World Bank, which is also the world’s largest development lender and also plays a key role in shaping the regulations that govern natural resource extraction. The thesis briefly investigates some Canadian examples of resource extraction projects, in order to demonstrate the weaknesses of Canadian mining laws, particularly the lack of protection of landowners’ rights under the free entry system and the subsequent need for “free, prior and informed consent” (FPIC). The thesis also considers some of the challenges to the adoption and implementation of the right to FPIC. These challenges include embedded institutional structures like the free entry mining system, international political economy (IPE) as shaped by international institutions and powerful corporations, as well as concerns regarding ‘local’ power structures or the legitimacy of representatives of communities affected by extractive projects. The thesis concludes that in order for Canada to be truly recognized as a leader in the global extractive industry, it must establish legal norms domestically to ensure that Canadian mining companies and residents can be held accountable when there is evidence of environmental and/or human rights violations associated with the activities of Canadian mining companies abroad. The thesis also concludes that Canada needs to address underlying structural issues such as the free entry mining system and implement FPIC, in order to curb “accumulation by dispossession” by the extractive industry, both domestically and abroad.