International Joint Commission

This article is about the US-Canada commission that oversees boundary water use and conservation. For the commission that deals with mapping and marking the border, see International Boundary Commission.

International Joint Commission
International Joint Commission
Commission mixte internationale
Abbreviation
  • IJC
  • CMI
Formation11 January 1909; 115 years ago (11 January 1909)
Legal statusActive
PurposeApproving projects that affect water, water levels, and flows across the boundary and investigating transboundary issues and recommending solutions
HeadquartersOttawa, Ontario, Canada
Washington, D.C., USA
Official languages
English and French
Chairperson (Canadian section)
Pierre Baril
Chairperson (US section)
Gerald Acker
Websiteijc.org
Sections of Canada and the United States (including in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, above) are separated by a boundary that is in water. A particularly extensive section of the Canada–US border is in the Great Lakes.

The International Joint Commission (French: Commission mixte internationale) is a bi-national organization established by the governments of the United States and Canada under the Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909. Its responsibilities were expanded with the signing of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement of 1972 (later amended 1987 and 2012).[1] The commission deals with issues affecting the extensive waters and waterways along the Canada–United States border.

A six member commission, it has multiple sub-commissions, which deal with particular sections of the border-waters, or topics, and a technical staff to organize and inform task-forces.

  1. ^ "Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement - 2012". Archived from the original on 5 April 2014. Retrieved 1 May 2014.