Wednesday, April 6, 2022

The Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights has the honour to present its

FIRST REPORT

Your committee, to which was referred Bill S-211, An Act to enact the Fighting Against Forced Labour and Child Labour in Supply Chains Act and to amend the Customs Tariff, has, in obedience to the order of reference of December 14, 2021, examined the said bill and now reports the same with the following amendments:

1.Clause 6, page 4: Add the following after line 21:

“(d.1) 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 its activities and supply chains;”.

2.Clause 11, pages 6 and 7:

(a)On page 6, add the following after line 25:

“(d.1) 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 its activities and supply chains;”;

(b)on page 7, replace line 12 with the following:

“(b) the signature of one or more members of”.

Respectfully submitted,

Observations to the first report of the Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights (Bill S-211)

The committee notes that this bill alone will not solve the problem of forced labour and child labour in the world, a complex issue that is inseparable from local socio-economic conditions. The committee therefore encourages the government to adopt this bill as a starting point and to reinforce and supplement these measures with a comprehensive and long-term commitment to fight against the exploitation of people, poverty and inequality. The committee also notes that, in order to adequately protect the victims of forced labour or child labour, they must have the support and means necessary to assert their rights. For this reason, the committee encourages the government to develop realistic means of accompanying and financially supporting victims of modern slavery in their search for justice and reparation.