The Corporate Declaration is a shared commitment by Corporate Canada to advance truth and reconciliation through sustained, measurable action. It is not a credential or compliance tool. It provides a common framework for companies to learn, act, and stay accountable together.

The Corporate Declaration was developed by a Leadership Circle of corporate leaders in response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Call to Action 92. Its purpose is to help Corporate Canada turn commitment into sustained, measurable action.

Indigenous guidance and partnership are essential, but responsibility for advancing these commitments rests with companies. This work cannot be delegated to Indigenous Peoples or organizations. Businesses must lead change within their own operations, industries, and relationships.

The Declaration creates a shared national pathway for private-sector organizations ready to act consistently, transparently, and over the long term.

They are complementary.

CCIB’s PAIR is a certification program that assesses and recognizes an organization’s progress in Indigenous relations. The Corporate Declaration is a public, collective commitment by Corporate Canada to advance reconciliation through sustained action.

PAIR measures organizational performance. The Declaration brings companies together to learn, act, and stay accountable as part of a broader national movement.

For organizations already participating in PAIR or similar initiatives, signing the Declaration reinforces and amplifies that work alongside peers across the private sector.

There is no fee to sign the Declaration. Leadership Circle members contribute $50,000 annually for two years to support its development, national engagement, tools, and shared infrastructure. A long-term funding model for ongoing stewardship and operations is still being developed, including the potential for an endowment that could reduce or eliminate future annual fees.

The Leadership Circle is a group of corporate leaders helping to guide, fund, and launch the Declaration. Members contribute expertise, networks, and financial support to build the tools, infrastructure, and national engagement needed for long-term impact.

Leadership Circle membership is a deeper level of involvement and is not required to become a signatory.

Signing signals your commitment to embed reconciliation into how your organization operates by:

• Building knowledge and cultural awareness

• Developing respectful relationships with Indigenous Peoples and communities

• Advancing Indigenous economic participation

• Aligning policies and business practices with reconciliation

• Measuring progress and reporting publicly

The Declaration is a commitment to sustained action, learning, and accountability over time.

The Declaration has been shaped by Indigenous leaders and practitioners from its earliest stages. It is grounded in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action, particularly Call to Action 92.

The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation is being established as the Declaration’s long-term steward, providing Indigenous leadership, continuity, and guidance for signatory learning and accountability.

The National Council for Reconciliation has a separate, legislated role in monitoring Canada’s overall progress on reconciliation and reporting to Parliament. The Declaration’s reporting will contribute to this broader national accountability.

Indigenous leadership is essential to guiding the work, while responsibility for taking action remains with Corporate Canada.

Signing is the beginning, not the end. Signatories join a national learning network that provides practical resources, peer exchange, shared learning, Indigenous guidance, and support for measuring progress. Companies can learn from one another, share successes and challenges, and stay accountable over time, so no organization has to do this work alone.

No. The Declaration is open to companies of all sizes and structures, including corporations, cooperatives, social enterprises, and nonprofit enterprises. What matters is your commitment to advancing reconciliation through your operations, relationships, and leadership.

Signatories will participate in a shared accountability framework, co-developed with the Leadership Circle and an Indigenous-led consulting partner. The framework recognizes three levels of progress, from early commitment to embedded outcomes and sector leadership.

Accountability will combine measurable indicators with evidence of learning, relationship-building, and organizational change. The goal is to track meaningful progress over time, not reduce reconciliation to a checklist.

Yes. A shared accountability and reporting framework is being finalized with the Leadership Circle. Signatories will track a core set of indicators and reflect annually on their progress, learning, and organizational change. The framework is designed to encourage transparency and continuous improvement, not competition or perfection.

Start by bringing the Declaration forward within your organization and identifying the leaders who need to be part of the decision.

We will support those conversations with practical resources, including:

• A letter from Commissioners of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission

• The draft Declaration

• Background on how the initiative was developed

• Information about becoming a signatory or joining the Leadership Circle

• A shareable overview for internal discussions

Our team is also available to answer questions and present the Declaration to your leadership, employees, partners, or broader network.