Desired Outcomes

In 1996, the Commission's Indicators for Evaluation Task Force developed a framework of nine desired outcomes to evaluate the Parties' progress under the Agreement. These outcomes were derived in part from the beneficial uses listed in Annex 2 of the Agreement. The Indicators Implementation Task Force subsequently examined the feasibility of using indicators to monitor progress, focusing on three desired outcomes: Drinkability, Fishability and Swimmability.

In its Tenth Biennial Report, the Commission recommended to the Parties that they report on these three desired outcomes at the SOLEC 2000 meeting. The Commission was pleased to see that such a report was made at that 2000 meeting and commends the Parties for their responsiveness. The approach used by the SOLEC organizers is virtually the same as that recommended by the Indicators Implementation Task Force in terms of indicator definition and supporting measurements. These three desired outcomes particularly interest the public because they correspond to their most direct use of the lakes.