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BEST PRACTICES FOR FORCED LABOUR REPORTING

CANADA PUBLISHED BEST PRACTICES ADVICE FOR FORCED LABOUR REPORTING

As we wrote here, Canada joined the United Kingdom and Australia last year in adopting a joint global reporting template for forced labour and child labour disclosures. The new template consolidates the legislative reporting requirements of all three countries and is intended to simplify reporting for organizations operating across multiple jurisdictions.

In practice, Canadian reporting entities often face challenges in producing properly scoped reports that align with Public Safety Canada’s expectations. In response, Public Safety Canada (“PSC”) has published "Best Practices" tips and updated resources, aimed at improving report quality and supporting ongoing compliance under the Supply Chains Act.

"Best Practices" Tips to Improve Report Quality

In its Winter 2026 Bulletin, Public Safety Canada released a set of practical tips aimed at improving the overall quality and presentation of reports submitted under the Supply Chains Act.

The tips cover the following best practices for reporting entities:

1. Signed and Dated Attestation: Reports should include a properly signed and dated attestation;
2. Scope of Disclosures: Reports should include only information pertaining to the Supply Chains Act transparency requirements and should not include other documents in appendices, such as employee contracts or supplier codes of conduct;
3. Employee Personal Information: Employee email addresses and identifiable personal information should be excluded from reports;
4. Internal Approval Records: Internal approval audit trails should be removed at the end of reports.

Collectively, these tips reflect Public Safety Canada’s expectation that reports be concise, properly scoped, and directly responsive to the transparency requirements.

Public Resources to Support Ongoing Compliance

In addition to the practical tips, Public Safety Canada directs reporting entities to review its updated public Resources webpage, which outlines actions that may be taken to identify, prevent, and mitigate the human rights impacts of business activities.

Reporting entities are advised to consult these materials when preparing future reports and aligning disclosures with evolving expectations under the Supply Chains Act.

Takeaways

Public Safety Canada has published "Best Practices" tips for forced labour reporting under the Supply Chains Act. Reporting entities should review this guidance when preparing future filings.

Experienced International Trade Counsel can assist in aligning disclosures with Public Safety Canada’s expectations.

For assistance with Forced Labour Reporting, please click here.

Download a PDF copy of this Blog here.