International Profile

• Introduction
• By International Organizations
  • Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation
  • International Competition Network
  • International Organization for Standardization
  • International Telecommunication Union
  • North Atlantic Treaty Organization
  • Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
  • United Nations World Tourism Organization
  • United Nations
  • World Intellectual Property Organization
  • World Trade Organization
• By Industry Canada Sectors

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By International Organizations

Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)

• The Small Business Policy Branch, Small Business, Tourism and Marketplace Services Sector, represents Canada in APEC's Small and Medium Enterprise Working Group, a forum for government officials responsible for small and medium enterprise (SME) policies, programs and supporting functions. The Working Group supports an annual meeting of APEC Ministers responsible for SMEs. Ministerial discussions focus on policy initiatives and projects that will promote the growth and expansion of SMEs across APEC member economies.
• The Small Business Policy Branch also represents Canada on the APEC Tourism Working Group and supports Canada's participation in APEC Tourism Ministers' meetings. The role of the APEC Tourism Working Group is to foster economic development in the Asia–Pacific region through sustainable tourism growth.
• The Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) coordinates and leads Canadian participation in the APEC Intellectual Property Experts Group. The purpose of the Group's meetings is to deepen the dialogue on intellectual property policy; survey and exchange information on intellectual property rights (IPR) protection and administrative systems; study systems for effective enforcement of IPR; and facilitate technical cooperation to that end.
• Within APEC, the Spectrum, Information Technologies and Telecommunications Sector (SITT) and the Strategic Policy Sector (SPS) are engaged in discussions on telecommunications policy and e-commerce issues. SPS coordinates and leads Canadian participation in the APEC Telecommunications and Information Working Group. This involves multilateral cooperation and discussions on international telecommunications policy frameworks, including issues pertaining to the standardization of equipment, issues of trade and Internet policy matters. SITT is also engaged in international cooperation efforts to address e-commerce trade issues and emerging threats (e.g., spam/malware) through APEC.
• The External Relations Directorate (ERD), Science and Innovation Sector, is responsible for coordinating Canadian involvement and representing Canada's interests in the APEC Industrial Science and Technology Working Group (ISTWG). The ISTWG promotes economic and technical cooperation among APEC member economies.
• The Competition Bureau participates in the APEC Economic Committee through its Competition Policy and Deregulation Group (CPDG). The CPDG aims to enhance the Asia-Pacific region's competitive environment; works to develop an understanding of regional competition laws and policies; examines the impact on trade and investment flows; and identifies areas for technical cooperation between member economies. The Competition Bureau reviews the APEC database information related to Canada's competition regime and prepares Competition Policy Chapter updates.

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International Competition Network (ICN)

• The Canadian Commissioner of Competition acts as the Chair of the ICN Steering Group and the Competition Bureau acts as the ICN Secretariat.
• The Competition Bureau co-chairs the ICN Operational Framework Working Group, which develops proposals concerning the structure and operation of the ICN Steering Group. The Competition Bureau's Criminal Matters Branch also co-chairs the ICN Cartels Working Group, Subgroup II on Enforcement Techniques. Other Competition Bureau branches actively contribute to ICN Working Group work products, workshops and reports.

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International Organization for Standardization (ISO)

• The Office of Consumer Affairs chairs two working groups that develop ISO standards on customer satisfaction codes of conduct and dispute resolution. It also participates in developing an ISO standard for social responsibility.

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International Telecommunication Union (ITU)

• The Spectrum, Information Technologies and Telecommunications Sector and the Strategic Policy Sector participate in multilateral cooperation and activities to advance Canada's position in ITU negotiations, conferences and meetings. Participation in this forum promotes Canadian government and industry positions, and encourages discussion of international marketplace issues as well as the impact of emerging technologies. Canada also has an active oversight and governance role at the ITU.
• The Communications Research Centre works in the ITU to develop standards that will facilitate the efficient delivery of telecommunications and broadcasting applications.

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North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

• The Industry Sector participates in the NATO Council, coordinating the industrial emergency plans of member countries and providing national experts in the area of environmental technologies.

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Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)

• The Small Business Policy Branch, Small Business, Tourism and Marketplace Services Sector, participates in the OECD Working Party on Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises and Entrepreneurship and in the Centre for Entrepreneurship, a subsidiary of the Committee on Industry Innovation and Entrepreneurship. The objective of the Working Party is to provide intelligence to member states and non-member states to help them develop policies that foster entrepreneurship and facilitate sustainable growth, competitiveness and job creation, and to help small and medium enterprises (SMEs) meet the challenges associated with globalization. The Working Party is responsible for promoting and developing OECD work on SMEs and entrepreneurship. The Branch also represents Canada in the International Consortium on Entrepreneurship, an initiative launched in 2005 to produce credible and objective measures of entrepreneurship across OECD countries. The Consortium works closely with the OECD Working Party on SMEs and Entrepreneurship and with the OECD Statistics Directorate to produce an annual report of over 60 entrepreneurship indicators across OECD countries, as well as to undertake specific research projects designed by member countries. In addition, the Small Business Policy Branch participates in activities of the OECD Tourism Committee, which aims to exchange experiences and good practices on current tourism policy challenges.
• Corporations Canada is responsible for regulations under the Canada Business Corporations Act. With the Strategic Policy Sector's Marketplace Framework Policies Branch, it participates in a steering group that develops the OECD Principles of Corporate Governance and promotes adoption of these principles, including best practices in member and non-member countries. Industry Canada contributed to developing the principles, and it continues its participation to promote and adopt best practices of corporate governance.
• The Office of Consumer Affairs chairs the OECD Committee on Consumer Policy (CCP), the only intergovernmental forum at the international level that meets regularly to address consumer policy concerns. The CCP develops principles to strengthen cooperation between member countries, better protect consumers, and promote a global marketplace and trust in the digital economy.
• The Industry Sector participates in the OECD Working Party on Biotechnology. This provides policy analysis and guidance on a broad range of biotechnology issues, such as genetic privacy, gene patents, innovation and industrial sustainability, industrial applications, and health care and disease prevention.
• The Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario (FedNor) participates in the Territorial Development Policy Committee, an international forum that conducts national, regional and municipal reviews of place-based regional development policies and programs.
• The Spectrum, Information Technologies and Telecommunications Sector participates in the OECD's Information, Computer and Communications Policy Committee, which addresses issues arising from the digital economy, the developing global information infrastructure and the evolution toward a global information society.
• The Telecommunications Policy Branch participates in the OECD Working Party on Communications Infrastructure and Services Policies. The Working Party addresses the economic and social implications of changing communications market structures, including the Internet; the convergence between the broadcasting and telecommunications sectors; and the emergence of next-generation networks.
• The External Relations Directorate, Science and Innovation Sector, is responsible for coordinating Canadian involvement and representing Canada's interests in the OECD's Committee for Scientific and Technological Policy (CSTP) and the OECD Working Party on Innovation and Technology Policy (TIP). Through data collection, research and international policy dialogue, the CSTP (including TIP) generates important policy insights, information on best practices, and S&T data and indicators that are valuable in informing the development and management of Canada's science, technology and innovation policy.
• The Policy Branch, Science and Innovation Sector, participates in the OECD's Global Science Forum (along with the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada). The goal of the Global Science Forum is to identify and explore opportunities for international cooperation in basic scientific research, define international frameworks for vital national or regional science policy decisions, and address the scientific dimensions of issues of global concern.
• The Competition Bureau is the lead for Canada's participation in the OECD Competition Committee (CC) and its subcommittees, including Working Party No. 2 on Competition and Regulation, Working Party No. 3 on Cooperation and Enforcement, and the Global Forum on Competition. The Canadian Commissioner of Competition is a member of the Bureau of the CC, which acts as the steering group of the Committee, provides direction and guides decision-making. The Competition Bureau also participates in the OECD Joint Group on Trade and Competition.
• The Competition Bureau's Fair Business Practices Branch participates in the OECD Committee on Consumer Policy. The Branch has contributed to major committee work items, including dispute resolution and consumer redress, combatting deceptive unsolicited commercial email (spam), mobile commerce, consumer education and awareness, and the interface between competition and consumer policy.

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United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)

• Canada is a member of the UNWTO, and the Small Business and Policy Branch is involved in its activities along with the Canadian Tourism Commission and Statistics Canada. The UNWTO is a global forum for tourism policy and research, and a source of tourism expertise.

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United Nations (UN)

• The Marketplace Framework Policy Branch, Strategic Policy Sector, participates in the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law to provide a Canadian perspective on insolvency law.
• The Competition Bureau participates in the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development's Intergovernmental Group of Experts on Competition Law and Policy. As a participant, the Competition Bureau exchanges views and experiences on competition policy in developing economies.

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World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)

• The Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) ensures Canada's interests are represented in multilateral forums, such as the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). CIPO leads the Canadian delegation at WIPO's annual general assemblies in Geneva. CIPO experts also participate in WIPO technical committees dealing with all aspects of industrial property (e.g., patents and trademarks).
• The Marketplace Framework Policy Branch, Strategic Policy Sector, regularly participates in and occasionally leads Canadian delegations to WIPO.

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World Trade Organization (WTO)

• The Marketplace Framework Policy Branch, Strategic Policy Sector, participates in the WTO's Council on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights. This contributes greatly to ensuring that Canadian marketplace framework laws and regulations keep Canada competitive with its major trading partners.
• In support of Canada's international trade objectives and in close collaboration with Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada, the Telecommunications Policy Branch participates in multilateral forums (including the WTO, the Summit of the Americas and others) and on a bilateral basis in telecommunications trade-related discussions and negotiations.
• The Spectrum, Information Technologies and Telecommunications Sector (SITT) participates in the WTO through the Work Program on E-Commerce, which examines trade-related issues related to global e-commerce. SITT also participates in trade negotiations in sectors heavily dependent on the use of information and communications technologies (ICT) and e-commerce, such as computer services.
• In close cooperation with Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada, the Trade Policy group of the Strategic Policy Branch participates in meetings and negotiations at the World Trade Organization on issues pertaining to non-agricultural goods, as well as to services and investment.