OTTAWA — A multi-party group of parliamentarians is urging Ottawa to step up its efforts to stop Canadian companies from profiting from slavery in their operations abroad and through imports.

Parliament passed the Supply Chains Act in 2023 which requires Canadian companies and government institutions to report annually on what they did to prevent or mitigate against the use of child labour or forced labour.

The International Justice and Human Rights Clinic at the University of British Columbia says an analysis of 119 of those filings included only vague language about companies’ efforts to weed out forced labour.

The MPs and senators held a press conference on Parliament Hill today to present that research and call for improvements.

The are also urging the government to set a timeline for appointing a new federal corporate watchdog, a position that has been vacant for nearly a year.

The UN Human Rights Committee has urged Canada to fill the position and the UBC group says the office’s investigations have stalled over the past year.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 14, 2026.

Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press