2023-24 Annual Report on the Fighting Against Forced Labour and Child Labour in Supply Chains Act

Part 1 : Identifying information

• Secretariat of the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians
• April 1, 2023 to March 31, 2024

Part 2: Report contents

2.1 Information on the government institution’s structure, activities and supply chains

Description of the government institution’s activities

The Secretariat of the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians’ (the Secretariat) primary activities include the purchasing of goods and services within Canada.

Additional information on the government institution’s structure, activities and supply chains

The Secretariat’s core responsibility is to ensure Parliamentary review of national security and intelligence activities in Canada thereby contributing to enhanced transparency and accountability of the national security framework. The Secretariat accomplishes this through the delivery of administrative, analytical, and executive support to its Committee.

During fiscal year 2023-24, the Secretariat awarded $34,777 in contracted goods. Of this value, 70.4% of the annual value of our purchases were made using Public Services and Procurement Canada’s (PSPC) tools, such as Standing Offers and Supply Arrangements.

Since November 2021, PSPC implemented anti-forced labour clauses in all goods contracts to ensure that it can terminate contracts where there is credible information that the goods have been produced in whole or in part by forced labour of human trafficking. Additionally, since November 20, 2023, all PSPC Standing Offers and Supply Arrangements for goods that have been issued, amended, or refreshed include anti-forced labour clauses.

As such, all our contracts for goods resulting from the use of these tools include clauses relating to forced labour which set out, among other things, human rights and labour rights requirements. These clauses can be found in the policy notification 150 – Anti-forced labour requirements.

2.2 Information on the steps taken to prevent and reduce the risk that forced labour or child labour is used at any step of the production of goods produced, purchased or distributed by the government institution

The Secretariat receives procurement and contracting support from the Privy Council Office (PCO) under a memorandum of understanding.

On behalf of the Secretariat, PCO has used Public Service and Procurement Canada’s (PSPC) including Standing Offers and Supply Arrangements, and integrated PSPC’s Code of Conduct for Procurement in our purchasing activities to prevent and reduce the risk of forced labour or child labour in its procurements.

While PSPC supports government institutions in their daily operations by acting as the central purchasing agent for the Government of Canada, PCO also undertakes activities under its own procurement authority, independently of the tools.

PCO has integrated PSPC’s updated General Conditions for goods contracts and PSPC’s Code of Conduct for Procurement in our purchasing activities to prevent and reduce the risk of forced labour or child labour in our procurements.

During the previous fiscal year, the Secretariat purchased goods under its own procurement authority in the areas of Office Furniture and ADP Software.

2.3 Information on the policies and due diligence processes in relation to forced labour and child labour

Effective April 1, 2023, amendments to the Treasury Board Directive on the Management of Procurement require contracting authorities from all departments listed in Schedules I, I.1 and II of the Financial Administration Act (with the exception of the Canada Revenue Agency) and commissions established in accordance with the Inquiries Act and designated as a department for the purposes of the Financial Administration Act to incorporate the Code of Conduct for Procurement (“the Code”) into their procurements.

Pursuant to the amendments, PCO, as the provider of procurement and contracting services to the Secretariat, has integrated the Code into its procurements, with a view to safeguarding federal procurement supply chains from forced labour and child labour. Contracts that PCO awarded on behalf of the Secretariat included the Code through the General Conditions for goods.

The Code requires that vendors, providing goods and services to the Government of Canada and their sub-contractors, comply with all applicable laws and regulations. In addition, the Code requires vendors and their sub-contractors to comply with Canada’s prohibition on the importation of goods produced, in whole or in part, by forced labour or compulsory labour. This includes forced or compulsory child labour and applies to all goods, regardless of their country of origin.

The prohibition on the importation of goods produced wholly or in part by forced labour came into force under Customs Tariff on July 1, 2020. This amendment implemented a commitment in the Labour Chapter of the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) and applies to all imports, regardless of origin.

2.4 Information on the parts of its activities and supply chains that carry a risk of forced labour or child labour being used and the steps taken to assess and manage that risk

In May 2021, a risk analysis of PSPC’s supply chains was completed by Rights Lab, of the University of Nottingham (U.K.), to determine which goods were at the highest risk of exposure to human trafficking, forced labour, and child labour. The analysis, and subsequent report, elaborated key strategies for PSPC to leverage public spending power to raise awareness about forced labour in supply chains.

PCO, as the provider of procurement and contracting services to the Secretariat, has familiarized itself with information on the risk assessment provided by PSPC, and is monitoring related follow-action, including the development of a Policy on Ethical Procurement.

Has the government institution identified forced labour or child labour risks in its activities and supply chains related to any of the following sectors and industries?

PCO, as the provider of procurement and contracting services to the Secretariat, has not identified forced labour or child labour risks in any sectors or industries related to its activities and supply chains.

2.5 Information on any measures taken to remediate any forced labour or child labour

PCO, as the provider of procurement and contracting services to the Secretariat, has not identified any forced labour or child labour in its activities and supply chains. As such, no remediation measures have been taken.

2.6 Information on any measures taken to remediate the loss of income to the most vulnerable families that results from any measure taken to eliminate the use of forced labour or child labour in the institution’s activities and supply chains

PCO as the provider of procurement and contracting services to the Secretariat, has not identified any vulnerable families who have lost income following its actions to eliminate the use of forced labour or child labour in its activities and supply chains. As such, no measures have been taken to establish grievance mechanisms or remediation measures.

2.7 Information on the training provided to employees on forced labour and child labour

PCO, as the provider of procurement and contracting services to the Secretariat, is aware that PSPC is currently developing awareness-raising guidance materials (including risk mitigation strategies) for suppliers towards high-risk sectors. We are monitoring the development of these materials and will leverages these resources upon their publication.

2.8 Information on how the government institution assesses its effectiveness in ensuring that forced labour and child labour are not being used in its activities and supply chains

PCO, as the provider of procurement and contracting services to the Secretariat, does not currently have policies and procedures to assess its effectiveness in ensuring that forced labour and child labour are not being used in its activities and supply chains where they fall outside of the tools establish by PSPC.