The Director of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), David Vigneault, issued the following statement regarding the CSIS 2023 Public Report released today:
"I am pleased to release the Canadian Security Intelligence Service Public Report for 2023. This is the most comprehensive public report published to date, to help Canadians understand the role, activities and relevance of CSIS. It provides a detailed overview of the key threats facing domestic and global security in 2023 and beyond, and provides insight into how CSIS responds and operates within the increasingly complex and challenging threat environment.
The year 2023 represented a significant period for national and global security as the threats facing Canada and its allies continued to increase in scale and complexity. Hostile state actors, such as the People's Republic of China, the Russian Federation, and the Islamic Republic of Iran continued to engage in threat activities designed to target individuals, Canada's economy, and overall, damage Canada's national security.
Violent extremist entities continued to pose significant threats to public safety. CSIS and its national security partners worked diligently to reduce the extremist threat by conducting key investigations that resulted in the arrests of ideologically and religiously motivated violent extremists.
CSIS continued to build and strengthen new and existing relationships with partners from across Canada including all levels of governments, private industry, community organizations, and academia. In 2023, CSIS became the first intelligence service in the world to action the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (UNDA). This framework will guide CSIS as it strengthens its partnerships with Indigenous governments and communities.
In keeping with our ongoing commitment to transparency and accountability, the Public Report 2023 has increased its use of statistics to provide concrete information on CSIS activities. Further, for the first time ever, CSIS released statistics concerning the Justification Framework, which provides legal authority for employees designated by the Minister of Public Safety and persons acting under their direction to engage in activities that would otherwise constitute offences in support of national security. The result is unprecedented disclosure of information while still protecting national security.
The public report is an important tool to demonstrate the excellence and relevance of CSIS as it remains committed to fulfilling its mission in a manner that reflects Canada's values, and the trust that Canadians have placed in CSIS. CSIS employees take their responsibility to protect Canada and Canadians to heart and they continue to carry out their duties with diligence, dedication and professionalism. As Director, I am very proud of their work.
I encourage all Canadians to read our newly released report to gain a comprehensive picture of how CSIS is working to keep Canada safe, secure and prosperous during these challenging times."
