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IJC Biennial Meeting at Kingston, Ontario,
June 10-11, 2005

Summary of Breakout Session: Institutional Arrangements and Governance

The following is an IJC staff summary of two breakout sessions on the topic of Institutional Arrangements and Governance that were held at the Biennial Meeting on Great Lakes Water Quality in Kingston, Ontario, from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. on June 10, 2005 and from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on June 11, 2005. Ten presentations, by the people listed below, were part of the breakout sessions. All slides, abstracts and papers provided by the presenters have been included in the record of the IJC's public consultations on the review of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA).

Friday, June 10, 2005

1. Allen Jones, Great Lakes Science Advisory Board
2. Mary Durfee, Michigan Technological University
3. Geewdin Elliot, Saugeen Ojibway Nations
4. Peter Wise
5. Thomas W. Daggett, Daggett Law Firm

Saturday, June 11, 2005

1. John Jackson, Great Lakes United
2. Paul Muldoon, Canadian Environmental Law Association, and Lee Botts
3. Jill Ryan, Great Lakes Aquatic Habitat Network Fund
4. Patty O'Donnell, Great Lakes United
5. Mel Plewes, Toronto an Region Conservation Authority

1. Many of the presentations and comments focused on Guiding Principles for both the review of the current Agreement and any future Agreement. These presentations and comments addressed the following points:

• A binational rather than a bilateral approach is needed in both the review and in the development of a new Agreement
• Common fact-finding is an essential element of a binational approach
• Recognizing that a binational approach would be necessary, current processes such as the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration will contribute to the review process
• A new Agreement should focus on sustainable development and adopt a precautionary approach
• Activities under a new Agreement should follow an ecosystem approach
• There is a need for more effective monitoring and environmental assessment and greater accountability
• Transparency and public participation is essential in all aspects of the review and any future Agreement
• Any new Agreement should include provision for dispute settlement
• Large takings of water should be banned in a new Agreement
• Any new Agreement should draw from both western science and traditional (aboriginal knowledge)
• A major goal should be the protection of environmental health
• A goal of the Agreement should be to do no harm, but if harm is done, then remove the injury and let nature heal itself
• The Agreement should attempt to plan ahead seven generations
• It should encourage users of the Great Lakes ecosystem to take only what they need
• Need to include Aboriginal Peoples and municipalities in the review of the Agreement
• The Parties need to be open to including new ideas in a revised agreement

2. A number of benefits of existing IJC and other structures were discussed. The following points were raised:

• The existing IJC institutions encourage the strong involvement of civil society
• The institutions include a wide variety of policy networks
• The governments' Binational Executive Committee (BEC) meets the need for central coordination
• The IJC's institutions allow people to work for the Great Lakes rather than just one government agency or interest

3. A number of changes were proposed to existing IJC and other structures, including the following:

• There needs to be a new body to articulate system-wide goals
• The role of local governments should be strengthened
• There is need to strengthen monitoring and surveillance
• Governments should establish an independent binational science body
• GLWQA needs to become a sustainability agreement and not just a chemical agreement
• Expert groups should be established to address specific technical issues
• There is a need to codify advances and changes that have occurred since 1987
• The Agreement needs institutions that help revitalize binationalism and rebuild the Great Lakes basin community
• IJC should stop acting politically to support governments and rely more on experts.

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