International Joint Commission

The International Joint Commission prevents and resolves disputes between the United States of America and Canada under the 1909 Boundary Waters Treaty and pursues the common good of both countries as an independent and objective advisor to the two governments.

In particular, the Commission rules upon applications for approval of projects affecting boundary or transboundary waters and may regulate the operation of these projects; it assists the two countries in the protection of the transboundary environment, including the implementation of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement and the improvement of transboundary air quality; and it alerts the governments to emerging issues along the boundary that may give rise to bilateral disputes.

Highlights

On Thursday, June 23, 2011, the International Joint Commission's Canadian Section held a reception to officially unveil a portrait of the Rt. Hon. Herb Gray, former Canadian Chair of the Commission. It has long been the practice of the Commission to honour past Canadian Chairs by displaying their portraits in its Ottawa office. Former Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. John Turner unveiled the portrait and Senator Mike Duffy was the Master of Ceremonies.

H2O NOW: 2011 Great Lakes Water Quality Biennial Meeting to be in Detroit

The theme of the October 12-14 meeting is "H2O NOW", emphasizing the pressing need for the public, industry, environmental groups and governments to take action and work together to protect and restore the Great Lakes.

IJC invites comment on transboundary air pollution

The IJC invites public comment on progress to reduce the impacts of transboundary air pollution under the 1991 Canada-United States Air Quality Agreement. Achievements in both countries to meet Agreement goals are described in the Air Quality Agreement 2010 Progress Report.

Commission Releases 15^th Biennial Report

In its 15^th Biennial Report on Great Lakes Water Quality, the Commission provided 32 recommendations for action. Both the full report and a summary document are available for downloading.

IJC Strengthens Local Capacity in Watersheds

Through its International Watersheds Initiative (IWI), the IJC and its IWI Boards continue to build local capacity to solve transboundary environmental issues at the watershed level. IWI projects have included modeling water flows, preparing for floods, surveying health issues, managing fishery issues and reaching out to stakeholders. The Transboundary Data Harmonization Task Force is working to produce consistent geospatial datasets and maps for use by planners, managers and citizens in watersheds along the boundary.

Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River Working Group

The Working Group is developing a potential new approach for managing water levels and flows in the Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River system. The group includes senior representatives from Canada, the United States, Quebec, Ontario, New York and the IJC. After the group provides its advice, the IJC will seek public comment and the concurrence of the two federal governments.

Alewives and the St. Croix River

The International St. Croix River Watershed Board continues discussions with interested parties on the proposed restoration of the sea run (anadromous) alewife, a fish species native to the St. Croix River. Updated information on this issue, including the summer 2010 public comment process, can be found on the Board's webpage.

Visit our Boundary Waters Treaty Centennial Website.