Madam Speaker, the government is committed to ensuring that Canada takes all appropriate actions to counter terrorist threats to this country, its people, our way of life, and our interests around the world while co-operating with international partners as appropriate. Listing an entity under the Criminal Code is one of the many tools Canada uses to combat terrorist financing, operations and support to terrorist activities.
Regarding the listing of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or the IRGC, I would point out that there are restrictive measures already imposed against entities and individuals within the IRGC, and against Iran, that have a similar effect to a listing. These include the listing of the IRGC's Qods Force under the Criminal Code. The Qods Force is a branch of the IRGC responsible for extraterritorial operations, and for exporting the Iranian revolution through activities such as facilitating terrorist operations. It provides arms, funding and paramilitary training to other listed groups, including the Taliban, the Lebanese Hezbollah and Hamas.
Other existing measures against the IRGC include the sanctions imposed under the Special Economic Measures Act. These actions were partly coordinated with like-minded countries to explicitly target IRGC organizations and the leadership by prohibiting any dealings between Canadians and these entities. Furthermore, Canada has listed Iran as a state supporter of terrorism under the State Immunity Act.
When we talk about listing the entire IRGC under the Criminal Code, I can assure the member that officials have begun their assessment. As the terrorist listing chapter of the National Security Green Paper, 2016, outlined, the process for listing an entity under the Criminal Code is thorough, fair and robust to ensure that national security threats are addressed while protecting the democratic values, rights and freedoms of all Canadians.
To be listed under the Criminal Code, an individual or group must meet the legal threshold of reasonable grounds to believe they have knowingly carried out, attempted to carry out, participated in or facilitated a terrorist activity, or are knowingly acting on behalf of, at the direction of, or in association with an entity that has knowingly carried out, attempted to carry out, participated in or facilitated a terrorist activity.
This is determined by drafting a criminal or security intelligence report, which documents the entity's activities. The report is reviewed by independent counsel at the Department of Justice to ensure that the entity meets the legal threshold for listing. If the Minister of Public Safety agrees that this test is met, he may recommend to cabinet that the entity be listed. This is the process we are undertaking for the IRGC and, understandably, it takes necessary time in order to be completed.