2024-25 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, 2024 to March 31, 2025

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 reports on its corporate activities to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, The Honourable Steven MacKinnon, who is designated as the Secretariat’s Minister under the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians Act. The Secretariat's Executive Director, appointed by the Governor in Council, holds the rank and powers of a deputy head of a department. In fiscal year 2024–25, the Secretariat was comprised of 8 full-time equivalents.

During fiscal year 2024-25, the Secretariat awarded $137,524.72 in contracted goods. Goods and services acquired by the Secretariat are procured through Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) or Shared Services Canada (SSC) instruments, ensuring compliance with federal policies.

Since November 2021, PSPC has included anti-forced labour clauses in all goods contracts to ensure that contracts can be terminated if credible information emerges that the goods were produced, in whole or in part, through forced labour or human trafficking. This provision aligns with Canada’s commitment to human rights and ethical procurement practices.

Additionally, PSPC Standing Offers and Supply Arrangements for goods, issued, amended, or refreshed since November 20, 2023, now include anti-forced labour clauses. These clauses outline human rights and labour rights requirements that must be adhered to by suppliers of goods to the Canadian government, which includes the Secretariat. The full details of these clauses, along with their specific requirements, can be found in Policy Notification 150 – Antiforced 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.

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

In its procurement activities on behalf of the Secretariat, PCO has also integrated PSPC’s updated General Conditions for goods contracts and PSPC’s Code of Conduct for Procurement in the Secretariat’s purchasing activities to prevent and reduce the risk of forced labour or child labour in its procurements

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

The Secretariat is included in Schedule I.1 of the Financial Administration Act. As such, it is required to incorporate the Code of Conduct for Procurement (“the Code”) into its procurements.

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.

As the provider of procurement and contracting services to the Secretariat, PCO has integrated the Code into its procurements, with a view to safeguarding federal procurement supply chains from forced labour and child labour. Contracts entered by the Secretariat incorporated the Code through their provisions related to General Conditions for goods.

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, Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) commissioned a risk analysis of its supply chains from the Rights Lab at the University of Nottingham (U.K.). The purpose of this analysis was to identify goods at highest risk of exposure to human trafficking, forced labour, and child labour. The final report outlined key strategies for leveraging public procurement to raise awareness and reduce the prevalence of forced labour in supply chains.

In 2024-2025, the Privy Council Office (PCO), which provides procurement and contracting services to the Secretariat, has reviewed the initial PSPC risk assessment and is monitoring progress on the upcoming Policy on Ethical Procurement. PSPC has not issued a new risk assessment or indicated plans to do so. Given the complexity of federal supply chains, PCO relies on PSPC’s centralized procurement tools and guidance and has not conducted its own assessment.

The Policy on Ethical Procurement, planned for 2024–25, is still pending. However, as of April 1, 2023, the Directive on the Management of Procurement was updated to include human rights, environmental and governance principles, supply chain transparency, and PSPC’s Code of Conduct for Procurement. The Secretariat takes steps to comply with these updated requirements by having PCO conduct its limited procurement and contracting activities on its behalf.

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?

Not applicable.

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

As the provider of procurement and contracting services to the Secretariat, PCO has not identified forced labour or child labour risks in any sector in its activities and supply chains. As such, no remediation measures were required.

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

As the provider of procurement and contracting services to the Secretariat, PCO 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 were required.

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

PCO ensures new staff complete ethical procurement training and requires all procurement team members to attend PSPC-led sessions on forced and child labour. It has integrated Anti-Forced Labour Requirements from the Standard Contract Clause Inventory into its contracts and RFPs. PCO also encourages client departments, including the Secretariat, to use PSPC and SSC procurement tools, which include supply chain monitoring resources. Secretariat employees engaged in procurement activities have also completed ethical procurement training.

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

As the provider of procurement and contracting services to the Secretariat, PCO uses the tools established by PSPC and has not implemented additional policies or procedures to assess its effectiveness in ensuring that forced labour and child labour are not being used in the Secretariat’s activities and supply chains. However, PCO, on behalf of the Secretariat, incorporates the guidance provided by PSPC into its contracts and requests for proposal when seeking to purchase goods outside of an existing method of supply.