Canada currently has no federal or provincial supply chain disclosure laws despite the emergent legislation/regulation in many other western countries requiring companies to disclose how they address the risk of modern slavery in their business operations and supply chains. the training provided to employees on forced labour and child labour. Human trafficking. We are living through the greatest improvement in human living standards in history. Historians who prefer enslaved person e… Encyclopedia of Emancipation and Abolition in the Transatlantic World (2007) Sinha, Manisha. Navigate the tides of digital disruption, How will Brexit affect your business? Despite the magnitude and severity of this issue and Canada's global reputation as a country committed to freedom and social justice, Canada is an outlier in addressing modern slavery compared to most of its biggest trading partners. It was 60 per cent when I was born. Other laws and regulations in the EU and other European countries require public disclosure of human rights issues and, in some cases, require companies to conduct human rights due diligence. (CNN) Canada has announced it will take in 750 refugees from Libya, some rescued from migrant detention centers. This article provides only general information about legal issues and developments, and is not intended to provide specific legal advice. Learn about them all here. Gowling WLG International Limited promotes, facilitates and co-ordinates the activities of its members but does not itself provide services to clients. Penalties for non-compliance were proposed to be in the form of fines of not more than $250,000 per offence. This statement is made on behalf of Norton Rose Fulbright LLP and Norton Rose Fulbright Services (together, the Firm) pursuant to section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 (the Act) and constitutes our slavery and human trafficking statement for the financial year ending 30 April 2019. Canada has begun resettling hundreds of people rescued from slavery in Libya, Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen says. The index put Canada’s population at 35,871,000 with … By Natasha Henry. As a result of the dissolution of Parliament, Bill C-423 will not pass. Many authors and historians use both sets of terms, which have similar meanings but can represent different perspectives on historical events. This statement is made on behalf of Royal Bank of Canada (“the Bank”) and a number of its subsidiaries 1 (collectively “RBC… The upcoming federal elections in Canada and the soon-to-be-new Parliament also presents an opportunity for organizations to provide constructive feedback on Bill C-423 before any future iteration of the Bill is introduced and to work with political representatives to design an optimal regulatory compliance regime for modern slavery in Canada. Bill C-423 proposed to require those entities, on an annual basis, to provide the government with a report that sets out the steps the entity has taken during the previous year to prevent and reduce the risk that forced labour or child labour is used at any step of the manufacture, production, growing, extraction or processing of goods in Canada or elsewhere by the entity or of goods imported into Canada by the entity. Although it may be hard to believe that this cruel reality exists in 2019, modern slavery-an umbrella term that includes practices such as slavery, child labour, debt bondage labour, forced labour, and human trafficked labour- is a disturbing reminder of the tragic situation that may be present within many Canadian businesses, potentially reaching all the way to the very beginning of their supply chains. Our site provides a full range of global and local information. Our in-depth take on the latest trending topics. The film provides a shocking but realistic depiction of American slavery. However, since its introduction, Bill C-423 has not proceeded any further through the parliamentary process; and, on September 11, 2019, the current Parliament was dissolved in preparation for the upcoming federal election on October 21, 2019. This presents an opportunity for an organization’s supply chain and human resources professionals to work together to understand the laws of all jurisdictions in which they operate and the interplay between those laws and to proactively address potential legislative compliance obligations in the future. Oct 18, 2019 10:00 am By Hugh Fitzgerald. It is a noun that critics of the term say reduces a person to a position they never chose to be in. Responding to the focus on modern slavery domestically and abroad, several Canadian businesses have chosen to voluntarily report their efforts in combatting modern slavery and many more have begun to develop internal best practices for eliminating child labour and forced labour in their supply chains. For example, slave is used to describe a person’s property. DLA Piper is a global law firm operating through various separate and distinct legal entities. Our Business At Canada Life International, we provide investment, estate planning and protection solutions to individuals, families and trusts. The world’s most widespre… The highly anticipated soon-to-be-released film, 12 Years a Slave, has garnered lots of attention following its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. This article provides only general information about legal issues and developments, and is not intended to provide specific legal advice. A rapidly growing challenge for Canadian businesses is how to address modern slavery in their operations and supply chains. Extreme poverty has fallen below 10 per cent of the world’s population for the first time. Today, Canada has no specific laws prohibiting the use of modern slavery in the production of goods procured by Canada's federal or provincial governments. ... March 19, 2019… The term enslaved describes the state of being held as a slave. If the Liberal Party wins a majority in the election, it is possible that Bill C-423 will be reintroduced in a form that is the same as, or substantially similar to, the version that was introduced in 2018. Bill C-423 was proposed by John MacKay, a Member of Parliament affiliated with the Liberal Party, which held a majority in Parliament when the Bill was introduced. This statement is made pursuant to s.54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and sets out the steps that the MIP Inc. Group of companies (“MIP”) has taken and will continue to take to ensure that modern slavery or human trafficking does not take place within its business or supply chain. It is based on the life of Solomon Northrup, a free man, who was kidnapped from his hometown in New York and sold south into slavery. According to the International Labour Organization, as many as 25 million people are suffering in forced labour and as many as 152 million children are victims of child labour - 73 million of whom are engaged in hazardous work. The most common are: 1. Bill S-216: An Act to enact the Modern Slavery Act and to amend the Customs Tariff (Bill), was recently introduced in the Canadian Senate and aims to implement Canada's international commitments to contribute to the fight against modern slavery, with a focus on forced labour and child labour. The scope of application was proposed to be limited to entities listed on a stock exchange in Canada or with at least $20 million in assets or generating at least $40 million in annual revenue or employing an average of at least 250 employees. For example, France has enacted legislation imposing a "duty of vigilance" on very large French companies requiring them to establish and to execute a due diligence plan to identify risks of violation with respect to human rights, fundamental freedoms, health and safety regulations and environmental law. In response to the October 2018 House of Commons Committee report, the Government of Canada announced in early 2019 that it will "begin a process …to consult on possible supply chain legislation," adding Canada to a growing list of countries taking action to address this issue. Attorney advertising. modern slavery • Only 29 % of companies are actively looking beyond their first tier of suppliers – despite modern slavery often lurking in the lower tiers of global supply chains • 94% of companies feel positive (65%) or neutral (29%) about the Government of Canada’s announcement to initiate consultation Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen said in … As of July 2019, thirty-five Canadian companieshave released modern slavery statements, including companies that are often in the public di… All rights reserved. The website states: It is a confronting reality that even in the present day, men, women and children all over the world remain victims of modern slavery. On December 13, 2018, following that report, Bill C-423, to be known as the ‎Modern Slavery Act, was introduced in the Parliament of Canada, with the stated purpose of ‎implementing Canada’s international commitment to contribute to the fight against modern slavery ‎through the imposition of reporting obligations on entities involved in the manufacture, production, ‎growing, extraction or processing of goods in Canada or elsewhere or in the importation of goods ‎manufactured, produced, grown, extracted or processed outside Canada.‎. In October of 2018, the Parliament of Canada Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development and the Subcommittee on International Human Rights issued a report titled, “A Call To Action: Ending The Use of All Forms of Child Labour in Supply Chains”. Please see our, A Call To Action: Ending The Use of All Forms of Child Labour in Supply Chains. Canada has a National Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking. US & Canada; Should black Americans get slavery reparations? Engaged citizens and advocates are encouraging Canada to follow in the steps of the U.K., California, the Netherlands and France in passing legislation to address modern slavery. Now is the time for Canadian companies to "do diligence" on their supply chains, The Real Brokerage closes US$20 million strategic investment by Insight Partners. Specifically, the report was to require information respecting: To assist in its interpretation, Bill C-423 contained the following definitions: Essentially, these definitions mean that labour in question would be unlawful in Canada even if it was not unlawful in the jurisdiction in which it was being performed. Forced labour. In 1793 Upper Canada (now Ontario) passed the Anti‐slavery Act. The introduction of this legislation aligns with a broader trend of ESG focus on, and … the entity’s structure and the goods that it manufactures, produces, grows, extracts or processes in Canada or elsewhere or that it imports into Canada; the entity’s policies in relation to forced labour and child labour; the entity’s activities that carry a risk of forced labour or child labour being used and the steps it has taken to assess and manage that risk; any measures taken to remediate any forced labour or child labour; and. COVID-19: How will coronavirus impact your business? On December 13, 2018, following that report, Bill C-423, to be known as the ‎Modern Slavery Act, was introduced in the Parliament of Canada, with the stated purpose of ‎implementing Canada’s international commitment to contribute to the fight against modern slavery ‎through the imposition of reporting obligations on entities involved in the manufacture, production, ‎growing, extraction or … Many Canadian businesses operating in those jurisdictions are already required to make such disclosure. Insights for Canadian CEOs and directors addressing modern slavery in their businesses and supply chains. In line with internationally accepted best practices, outlined in the Trafficking Protocol, Canada ... Modern Slavery Statement 2019/20 Our Vision To give every child the best start in life Our Mission Deliver high quality childcare and DLA Piper is a global law firm with lawyers located in more than 40 countries throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific, positioning us to help clients with their legal needs around the world. Each member and affiliate is an autonomous and independent entity. 20/12/2019 ~ wpgman. Following the rediscovery of sex slave rings in Canada, the vice chair of the Parliamentary Committee on the Status of Women assigned staff to review the human trafficking data of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Debt bondage/bonded labour. Companies to which these laws apply must post online or file an annual statement detailing what efforts (if any) they have taken to ensure that modern slavery is not taking place in their businesses or in their supply chains. Slavery today takes many different forms, including human trafficking, forced labour, debt bondage, forced marriage and others. The use of violence, threats or coercion to transport, recruit or harbour people in order to exploit them for purposes such as forced prostitution, labour, criminality, marriage or organ removal. As well as there are no general restrictions on the importation into Canada of goods made with labour subject to modern slavery. The UK and Australian laws require these annual statements to be approved by the company's board of directors and signed by a director. And Canada has no laws specifically requiring businesses to disclose whether they or their suppliers are utilizing modern slavery in the sourcing or production of their products or services. Journal of global slavery 4.2 (2019): 226-265. Historians who prefer enslaved person e… slavery across Canada Life International’s operations and supply chains, and the next steps planned for the current financial year and beyond. Although the TSCA has not yet been tabled in the Senate and therefore many details are still forthcoming, it follows the tabling of a similar private member’s bill aimed to tackle modern slavery, as well as the Government of Canada’s announcement in February 2019 that it will consult on bringing forward supply chain reporting legislation. Not much longer as you will see in our next article: What action will Canada take and how will it impact Canadian businesses? As is well known, slavery was formally abolished in Saudi Arabia as late as 1962, and then only after terrific pressure had been applied to the Saudis by Western governments. 8 How long will Canada and its lawmakers wait to address modern slavery? 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