The International Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Development (Rights & Democracy), is a non-partisan, independent Canadian institution that was established by an act of the Canadian parliament in 1988 to "encourage and support the universal values of human rights and the promotion of democratic institutions and practices around the world."[1] It receives around C$11m per year in funding from the Canadian government.[2]
R&D works with individuals, organizations and governments in Canada and abroad to promote the human and democratic rights defined in the United Nations' International Bill of Human Rights. One of its most enduring efforts has been to protect citizens from rights abuses perpetrated by corporations. To this end, it developed a series of tools for Human Rights Impact Assessment that can be carried out by civil society groups.
Aurel Braun was appointed chair of R&D's board of directors in January 2009.[3][2] His time with the organization has been full of conflict, not least over funding provided to two Palestinian and one Israeli human rights organisation. Following a particularly hostile board meeting in January 2010, the organization's president, Rémy Beauregard, died of a heart attack, and board members Sima Samar and Payam Akhavan resigned.[2] Subsequently 45 of the centre's 47 staff demanded Braun's resignation, accusing him of "a pattern of harassment", and four members of the board requested "a full investigation of the circumstances surrounding Mr. Beauregard's death, with a focus on the role and conduct of the board".[2]