Canadian Council of Chief Executives :: Developing 21st Century Institutions

North American Security and Prosperity

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Developing 21st Century Institutions

The dynamic Canada-United States relationship is no longer adequately served by existing national and bilateral rules and institutions.

North America needs a new partnership based on cooperation and mutual respect for the sovereignty of each country, not a European-style model emphasizing supranational institutions.
A commitment to active political leadership does not require the creation of large centralized institutions. Political leadership is critical, however, in injecting urgency and providing clear direction to the complex network of existing institutions and arrangements that manage the bilateral relationship.
The growing complexity of the relationship does require some new institutions. These institutions, however, should be specialized and have a primary mandate of fostering coordination and preventing and solving problems. One example of such an institution is the International Joint Commission, which has provided binational management of boundary waters for more than a century. While deriving their authority from their respective governments, similar joint commissions in other areas would operate with a degree of autonomy consistent with their binational character.


Click for further information:	Home >> North American Security and Prosperity >> Developing 21st Century Institutions Developing 21st Century Institutions The dynamic Canada-United States relationship is no longer adequately served by existing national and bilateral rules and institutions. North America needs a new partnership based on cooperation and mutual respect for the sovereignty of each country, not a European-style model emphasizing supranational institutions. A commitment to active political leadership does not require the creation of large centralized institutions. Political leadership is critical, however, in injecting urgency and providing clear direction to the complex network of existing institutions and arrangements that manage the bilateral relationship. The growing complexity of the relationship does require some new institutions. These institutions, however, should be specialized and have a primary mandate of fostering coordination and preventing and solving problems. One example of such an institution is the International Joint Commission, which has provided binational management of boundary waters for more than a century. While deriving their authority from their respective governments, similar joint commissions in other areas would operate with a degree of autonomy consistent with their binational character.
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