Subject: Notification of NSIRA’s Review of Departmental Implementation of the Avoiding Complicity in Mistreatment by Foreign Entities Act for 2025
Dear Ministers,
I am writing on behalf of the Members of the National Security and Intelligence Review Agency (NSIRA) to inform you that NSIRA has initiated its annual review of Departmental Implementation of the Avoiding Complicity in Mistreatment by Foreign Entities Act (ACA) for 2025.
This review is being conducted pursuant to paragraph 8(2.2) and paragraph 8(1)(b) of the National Security and Intelligence Review Agency Act (NSIRA Act). The NSIRA Act grants NSIRA full and timely access to all information held by reviewed departments and agencies, including classified and privileged information, with the exception of Cabinet confidences.
We would also like to take this opportunity to remind you of the reporting requirements set out in the ACA: subsection 7(1) requires that deputy heads submit a report in respect of the implementation of ACA directions during the previous calendar year to the appropriate Minister before March 1; and subsection 8(1) requires that, as soon as feasible after receiving a report under section 7, the appropriate Minister provide a copy of it to NSIRA, the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians, and if applicable, the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
We request that these records be provided to the attention of The Honourable Marie Deschamps, NSIRA’s Chair, via the NSIRA Leadership Mailbox (leadership@nsira-ossnr.gc.ca) or CTSN.
NSIRA will engage with your officials regarding this review. As the review progresses, NSIRA’s review team will be in regular contact with them with requests for information. Such requests may involve documents, system access, written explanations, briefings, interviews, surveys, and any other information that NSIRA determines to be of relevance to this review. This review may also include independent inspections of some technical systems. NSIRA’s expectations for responsiveness are available online at https://nsira-ossnr.gc.ca.
I thank you in advance for your cooperation and support to the independent review process, which is key to transparency and democratic accountability.
Sincerely,
The Honourable Marie Deschamps, C.C.
Chair, National Security and Intelligence Review Agency
Dist.
- The Honourable David J. McGuinty, Minister of National Defence
- The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Finance and National Revenue
- The Honourable Joanne Thompson, Minister of Fisheries
- The Honourable Anita Anand, Minister of Foreign Affairs
- The Honourable Lena Metlege Diab, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship
- The Honourable Gary Anandasangaree, Minister of Public Safety
- The Honourable Steven MacKinnon, Minister of Transport
cc
- General M.A.J. Jennie Carignan, Chief of the Defence Staff
- Christiane (Chris) Fox, Deputy Minister, National Defence
- Sarah Paquet, Director and Chief Executive Officer, Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada
- Kaili Levesque, Interim Deputy Minister, Fisheries and Oceans Canada
- David Morrison, Deputy Minister, Foreign Affairs
- Dr. Harpreet S. Kochhar, Deputy Minister, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
- Bob Hamilton, Commissioner, Canada Revenue Agency
- Erin O’Gorman, President, Canada Border Services Agency
- Daniel Rogers, Director, Canadian Security Intelligence Service
- Caroline Xavier, Chief, Communications Security Establishment
- Mike Duheme, Commissioner, Royal Canadian Mounted Police
- Tricia Geddes, Deputy Minister, Public Safety Canada
