On January 1, 2024, Canada's Fighting Against Forced Labour and Child Labour in Supply Chains Act ("S-211") came into force.
This is the first in a series of monthly articles to focus on S-211, examining its terms, its enforcement, best practices in compliance and reporting, and answering the many questions that arise as businesses and the federal government work to address the risks of forced labour and child labour in their operations and supply chains.
This new law requires in-scope businesses and organizations that are required to report under this law ("Reporting Entity") to prepare and file with the federal Minister of Public Safety, a report ("S-211 Report") on or before May 31 of each calendar year.
The S-211 Report must set out the steps the Reporting Entity has taken during its previous financial year to prevent and to reduce the risk that forced labour or child labour is used at any step in the production of goods in Canada or elsewhere by the Reporting Entity, or at any step in the production of goods imported into Canada by the Reporting Entity.
