Who we are

The International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group (ICLMG) is a national coalition of Canadian civil society organizations that was established after the rushed adoption of the Anti‑terrorism Act of 2001 in order to protect and promote human rights and civil liberties in the context of the so-called ‘War on Terror.’ The coalition brings together 45 NGOs, unions, professional associations, faith groups, environmental organizations, human rights and civil liberties advocates, humanitarian organizations, as well as groups representing immigrant and refugee communities in Canada.

While we recognize the obligation of states to protect citizens and others on their territories from violence, we regret the way in which most states are interpreting this obligation by restricting democratic freedoms. We do not properly defend democracy, the rule of law and a culture of human rights by abdicating these very principles. Security and freedom are not opposites. Respect for fundamental rights is an essential condition, a vital component of security.

Our mandate is to defend civil liberties and human rights – including in relation to refugee protection, minority groups, political dissent, governance of charities, international cooperation and humanitarian assistance – from the negative impact of anti-terrorism and national security.

We do so by:

• Monitoring the evolution and application of Canada’s security and “anti-terrorist” agenda and its impact on civil society organizations and communities
• Disseminating information on the implications of the laws and other anti-terrorist measures to our members, the public, federal MPs as well as to interested and affected organizations and communities, including through the publication of a News Digest twice monthly
• Developing joint and concerted responses to ensure transparency and due process where specific organizations and/or vulnerable communities are affected
• Lobbying and carrying out advocacy work with policy makers, members of Parliament, parliamentary committees, etc., and
• Working with international partners and coalitions, as well as intervening at international bodies such as the United Nations.

ICLMG has provided a forum for reflection, joint analysis and cooperative action in response to Canada’s own anti-terrorist measures and their effects, and the risk to persons and groups posed by the burgeoning national security state and its obsession with the control and the movement of people. Finally, further to its mandate, the ICLMG has intervened in individual cases where there have been allegations of serious violation of civil liberties and human rights. The ICLMG has also intervened to contest proposed legislation, regulations and practices that contravene the Canadian Constitution, other Canadian laws and international human rights standards.

Twenty years too many

As odd as this might sound, we wish ICLMG would never have had to be created and that we would not need to still exist 20 years after our foundation. We continue to face many long, drawn-out battles and new challenges, along with what we call “national security creep,” all of which mean we must keep going.

Since the beginning, we have fought against:

• The Anti‑terrorism Act of 2001 and its gradual expansion;
• The granting of new powers to Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) and Communications Security Establishment (CSE) and information-sharing between states;
• State surveillance and racial, religious and political profiling;
• The No Fly List and the Terror Entities List;
• Security certificates, secret trials and specifically the deportation to torture of Mohamed Harkat;
• Laws that undermine rights and due process, including “lawful access,” and the Extradition Act and its devastating impact on Hassan Diab;
• The criminalization of the provision of humanitarian and international assistance, notably in Afghanistan;
• The myriad more ways in which the global ‘War on Terror’ has impacted human rights and civil liberties in Canada and internationally – several of which will be touched on in this publication.

Increasingly, Canada is framing the climate crisis and economic instability as primarily national security threats to the state – rather than to the wellbeing of people. As a result, resources needed to address the root of these issues are being misdirected towards the already over-inflated state security apparatus. Furthermore, after heavily contributing to the rise of white supremacism with its own racist anti-terror policies, the state is now positioning its security agencies as best placed to fight racism, including through the expansion of said racist anti-terror tools. This national security creep comes with new dangerous tools such as facial recognition/ biometrics, artificial intelligence, mass online surveillance, attacks on encryption, which we have increasingly opposed. As the security state constantly expands what constitutes threats to its existence, we do not expect to close shop any time soon.

Why this publication?

With this publication, we wanted to highlight our work and achievements alongside our members and partners, show what still needs to be done 20 years later and provoke reflections about how to adapt the fight to protect civil liberties from the always expanding definitions of terrorism and national security.

In addition to this publication, we hosted a webinar with amazing panelists entitled Twenty Years of Fighting for Rights in the War on Terror. And since we have to exist, we might as well celebrate! In September 2022, we gathered – outside and wearing masks – with many friends, member representatives, partners and colleagues. It was lovely to see them and hear very kind words of appreciation for the coalition’s work and its important impact.

Thank you!

We would like to thank publication contributors, members, donors, sponsors, partners and all the people we have worked with over the years. We deeply appreciate each and
everyone one of you – your passion, expertise, hard work and support. We literally could not do this work without you.

In solidarity,

Xan Dagenais & Tim McSorley

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Tim McSorley is the National Coordinator of the International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group

Xan Dagenais is the Communications and Research Coordinator of the International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group

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Since you’re here… … we have a small favour to ask. Here at ICLMG, we are working very hard to protect and promote human rights and civil liberties in the context of the so-called “war on terror” in Canada. We do not receive any financial support from any federal, provincial or municipal governments or political parties. You can become our patron on Patreon and get rewards in exchange for your support. You can give as little as $1/month (that’s only $12/year!) and you can unsubscribe at any time. Any donations will go a long way to support our work.You can also make a one-time donation or donate monthly via Paypal by clicking on the button below. On the fence about giving? Check out our Achievements and Gains since we were created in 2002. Thank you for your generosity!