Bill C-204 explained in plain English
An Act to encourage accountability by Canada and the international community with respect to Sudan
Federal Parliament bill summary, status, timeline, sponsor, votes, and official sources.
At a glance
Official Parliament of Canada snapshot for 40th Parliament, 1st Session. MP vote breakdowns appear when the House of Commons publishes a recorded division export for that bill. Senate and House stage details include official debate/sitting links when LEGISinfo publishes them.
Our plain-language take, written for civic education.
Source: By PoliticalData.ca
Bill C-204 requires Canadian government agencies to contract only with companies that do not conduct business operations in Sudan, requires the Government of Canada to divest from Sudan-related financial investments within six months, and directs Canada to work with the international community on measures related to Sudan.
Bill C-204, titled the Sudan Accountability Act, aims to restrict Canada's financial and commercial ties to Sudan and encourage international action on Sudan-related issues. The bill requires that when Canadian government agencies (such as departments and federal organizations) enter into contracts to buy goods or services, they must get written confirmation from the contractor that the contractor does not conduct business operations in Sudan. Business operations include activities related to power production, mining, oil, and military equipment. However, there are exceptions—the requirement does not apply to contracts with southern Sudan's regional government, activities licensed or exempted by the federal government, services to marginalized populations, support to international peacekeeping forces or humanitarian organizations, health or education services, or voluntarily suspended activities. If an agency head finds that a contractor has provided false certification, the head may terminate the contract or ban the contractor from federal contracts for up to three years. Within six months of the Act coming into force, the Government of Canada must sell off any bonds, stocks, or other financial investments it holds in Sudan. This requirement does not apply to money spent through established humanitarian aid programs, used to operate Canadian embassies or consulates in Sudan, or if Parliament authorizes an exception. The bill also directs the Government of Canada to work with other countries and international organizations to encourage measures that expose people and entities whose financial dealings support the Sudanese government, and to promote international divestment from those actors. It also directs Canada to continue cooperating with international partners to support peacekeeping operations, humanitarian aid delivery, and the arrest of individuals wanted by the International Criminal Court for crimes in Darfur. Finally, the bill requires the Government of Canada to bring a resolution before the United Nations Security Council calling for meaningful multilateral sanctions against the Government of Sudan.
- Requires heads of Canadian government executive agencies to include a certification in all procurement contracts stating that the contractor does not conduct business operations in Sudan
- Defines 'business operations' to include power production activities, mineral extraction activities, oil-related activities, and production of military equipment in Sudan
- Provides exceptions to the business operations restriction, including contracts with southern Sudan's regional government, licensed or federally exempted activities, services to marginalized populations, support to peacekeeping forces or humanitarian organizations, health or education services, and voluntarily suspended activities
- Allows agency heads to terminate contracts or debar/suspend contractors for up to three years if false certification is discovered
- Requires the Government of Canada to divest from bonds, stocks, and other financial instruments invested in Sudan within six months of the Act coming into force
- Provides exceptions to divestment for humanitarian assistance programs, Canadian Embassy and consular operating costs, and investments otherwise authorized by Parliament
- Directs the Government of Canada to work with international partners to encourage measures that publicize activities of those who enable the Sudanese government and to promote divestment from such actors
- Directs Canada to continue cooperation with international partners on peacekeeping deployment, humanitarian aid delivery, and arrest of International Criminal Court warrant holders
- Requires the Government of Canada to bring a resolution before the United Nations Security Council calling for meaningful multilateral sanctions against the Government of Sudan
- Heads of Canadian government executive agencies (departments, federal organizations, and certain commissions) who must ensure procurement contracts include Sudan certifications
- Contractors and suppliers bidding on federal government contracts who must provide certification that they do not conduct business operations in Sudan
- The Government of Canada, which must divest from Sudan-related financial investments within six months
- People and entities conducting business operations in Sudan (power production, mining, oil, military equipment) who may be identified publicly and subject to international divestment measures
- Parliament, which retains authority to authorize exceptions to the divestment requirement
- International partners and organizations that Canada directs to adopt complementary measures
- Government agency heads must ensure all procurement contracts include written certification from contractors that they do not conduct business operations in Sudan (Section 3(1))
- Contractors must provide accurate certification about their Sudan business operations; false certification may result in contract termination or debarment for up to three years (Section 3(4))
- The Government of Canada must divest from Sudan-related financial investments within six months of the Act coming into force (Section 4)
- The Government of Canada must work with international partners to encourage identification and divestment from entities that financially support the Sudanese government (Section 5)
- The Government of Canada must continue cooperating with international partners on peacekeeping, humanitarian aid, and International Criminal Court matters in Sudan (Section 6)
- The Government of Canada must bring a resolution before the UN Security Council calling for multilateral sanctions against Sudan (Section 7)
- The Act requires divestment from Sudan-related financial instruments within six months of the Act coming into force (Section 4). The bill text does not specify when the Act comes into force.
- The bill was given First Reading on November 21, 2008
- The Government of Canada must divest from bonds, stocks, and other financial instruments invested in Sudan within six months (Section 4). The bill does not specify the value or financial impact of this divestment.
- Government agencies may incur administrative costs to ensure compliance with procurement certification requirements
- The bill does not specify costs associated with international cooperation on Sudan measures
- Agency heads may terminate a contract if the contractor has submitted a false certification about Sudan business operations (Section 3(4))
- Agency heads may debar or suspend a contractor from federal contract eligibility for a period not exceeding three years if false certification is discovered (Section 3(4))
- The bill does not specify penalties for government agencies that fail to comply with the certification or divestment requirements
- The bill text does not specify when the Act comes into force, and therefore the specific date by which divestment must be completed is uncertain
- The bill text does not specify how agency heads should determine whether a contractor 'conducts business operations' in Sudan or how to verify contractor certifications
- The bill text does not define what constitutes 'marginalized populations' of Sudan (an exception to the business operations definition)
- The bill text does not explain how Canada will enforce compliance with the divestment requirement or how Parliament will authorize exceptions under Section 4(c)
- The bill text does not specify what evidence or procedures agency heads must use to determine false certification
- The bill text does not indicate whether the Government of Canada has authority to unilaterally bring a UN Security Council resolution (Section 7) or whether this is a commitment to attempt to do so
- The bill refers to 'established humanitarian assistance programs' and 'internationally recognized' organizations and forces, but does not define these terms
- The bill does not specify how Canada will verify that contractors have voluntarily suspended operations in Sudan (an exception under Section 3(3)(f))
The bill uses the Financial Administration Act's definitions of government departments and organizations to determine which agencies must comply with the procurement certification requirement
Source: Section 2 (definition of 'executive agency')
The bill allows certain commissions under the Inquiries Act to be designated as executive agencies subject to the procurement certification requirement
Source: Section 2 (definition of 'executive agency')
Generated using AI from official bill text. Not legal advice. It is written by PoliticalData.ca for civic education, automatically checked and spot-reviewed before publishing.
Official textParliamentary Process
We don't have a plain-language summary for First reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.
We don't have a plain-language summary for Second reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.
We don't have a plain-language summary for Third reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.
Bill C-204, the 'Sudan Accountability Act,' was introduced and received its first reading in the House of Commons on November 21, 2008, marking its formal introduction into the legislative process.
This artifact describes the first reading of Bill C-204 in the House of Commons on November 21, 2008. This is the initial procedural step where a bill is formally introduced. The bill's short title is the 'Sudan Accountability Act' and its purpose is to encourage accountability by Canada and the international community concerning Sudan. The record also notes that a similar bill, C-536, was introduced in a previous Parliament. At this point, the bill is considered 'Outside the Order of Precedence,' meaning it has not yet been scheduled for debate or further action.
This House of Commons record from November 21, 2008, details procedural events including the first reading of the Sudan Accountability Act and ongoing debate on the Speech from the Throne, with members raising diverse topics from the economy to social issues.
This document is a record of a sitting of the House of Commons on November 21, 2008. It details procedural matters, including the appointment of committee chairs, the resumption of debate on the Speech from the Throne, members' statements on various topics, and oral questions from members to the government. Notably, the "Sudan Accountability Act" was introduced and read for the first time during Routine Proceedings. The debate on the Speech from the Throne featured discussions on the economy, social programs, foreign affairs, and the role of government in various sectors.
We don't have a plain-language summary for Second reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.
We don't have a plain-language summary for Consideration in committee yet. The official source linked below is the full record.
We don't have a plain-language summary for Report stage yet. The official source linked below is the full record.
We don't have a plain-language summary for Third reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.
Debate and sitting links point to official parliamentary sources when LEGISinfo publishes them. Any plain-language discussion summaries should be generated from those official texts and reviewed before public display.
Vote Summary
This bill is still active. We only show vote counts after the legislature publishes a recorded division.
No published representative vote breakdown
This bill is still moving through the process. When a recorded division is published, representative positions can be listed here.
Official sources
Status, sponsor, votes, and timeline on this page are drawn from these official legislative sources and public records. Each summary above is attributed to its own source.
How this data is sourced