Submission Date
January 15, 2024
David Vigneault
Director
Canadian Security Intelligence Service
Subject: Notification of NSIRA’s Review of Overseas Missions
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 a review of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) and Overseas Missions.
NSIRA will review Canadian intelligence and national security activities at overseas missions to examine compliance with Canadian and international law, as well as ministerial direction and policy. While Global Affairs Canada is primarily responsible for diplomatic missions, as other departments and agencies operate abroad under their unique mandates, the review will examine the activities of a wide range of organizations across the Canadian national security and intelligence community that work out of overseas missions, including CSIS.
This review is being conducted pursuant to paragraph 8(1)(a) and (b) of the 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.
Please identify any specific contacts you deem relevant for the topic being addressed by this review. Our review team will be in regular contact with your department with requests for information. These may include requests for documents, system access, written explanations, briefings, interviews, surveys, and other information NSIRA determines to be of relevance to this review. This review may also include conducting independent inspections of some technical systems.
I thank you in advance for your cooperation and support to the independent review process, which is key to the transparency and accountability we provide to Canadians on behalf of the Government of Canada.
Sincerely,
John Davies
Executive Director, National Security and Intelligence Review Agency
Submission Date
May 8, 2024
Subject: Notification of NSIRA’s Review of Overseas Missions
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 a review of Overseas Missions.
This review is being conducted pursuant to paragraph 8(1)(a) and (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.
NSIRA will review Canadian intelligence and national security activities at overseas missions to examine compliance with Canadian and international law, as well as ministerial direction and policy. While Global Affairs Canada is primarily responsible for diplomatic missions, as other departments and agencies operate abroad under their unique mandates, the review will examine the activities of a wide range of organizations across the Canadian national security and intelligence community that work out of overseas missions, including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Department of National Defence.
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 Dominic LeBlanc, Minister, Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs
- The Honourable Bill Blair, Minister, National Defence
cc
- Mike Duheme, Commissioner, Royal Canadian Mounted Police
- Bill Matthews, Deputy Minister, National Defence
Submission Date
January 15, 2024
David Morrison
Deputy Minister, Global Affairs Canada
Subject: Notification of NSIRA’s Review of Overseas Missions
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 a review of Global Affairs Canada (GAC) and Overseas Missions.
NSIRA will review Canadian intelligence and national security activities at overseas missions to examine compliance with Canadian and international law, as well as ministerial direction and policy. While GAC is primarily responsible for diplomatic missions, as other departments and agencies operate abroad under their unique mandates, the review will examine the activities of a wide range of organizations across the Canadian national security and intelligence community that work out of overseas missions.
This review is being conducted pursuant to paragraph 8(1)(a) and (b) of the 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.
Please identify any specific contacts you deem relevant for the topic being addressed by this review. Our review team will be in regular contact with your department with requests for information. These may include requests for documents, system access, written explanations, briefings, interviews, surveys, and other information NSIRA determines to be of relevance to this review. This review may also include conducting independent inspections of some technical systems.
I thank you in advance for your cooperation and support to the independent review process, which is key to the transparency and accountability we provide to Canadians on behalf of the Government of Canada.
Sincerely,
John Davies
Executive Director, National Security and Intelligence Review Agency
Submission Date
January 19, 2024
Subject: Notification of NSIRA’s Review of Overseas Missions
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 a review of Overseas Missions.
This review is being conducted pursuant to paragraph 8(1)(a) and (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.
While Global Affairs Canada is primarily responsible for diplomatic missions, as other departments and agencies operate abroad under their unique mandates, this review will examine the activities of a wide range of organizations across the Canadian national security and intelligence community that work out of overseas missions, including the Canada Border Services Agency and Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada.
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 Dominic LeBlanc, Minister, Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs
- The Honourable Marc Miller, Minister, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
cc
- Erin O’Gorman, President, Canada Border Services Agency
- Dr. Harpreet S. Kochhar, Deputy Minister, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
