Canadian Intergovernmental Conference Secretariat
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| Canadian Intergovernmental Conference Secretariat | |
|---|---|
| Name | Canadian Intergovernmental Conference Secretariat |
| Formed | 1973 |
| Jurisdiction | Canada |
| Headquarters | Ottawa, Ontario |
| Parent agency | Privy Council Office |
Canadian Intergovernmental Conference Secretariat is a federal agency created to support intergovernmental meetings among Canadian federal, provincial, and territorial entities. It provides administrative, substantive, and logistical assistance for First Ministers' meetings, ministerial councils, and deputy ministers' conferences, interacting with entities such as the Privy Council Office, Office of the Prime Minister of Canada, Province of Ontario, Government of Quebec and the Government of British Columbia. The Secretariat operates in the context of Canadian federalism, liaising with institutions like the Council of the Federation, the Assembly of First Nations, the Territorial Premiers and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.
History
The Secretariat was established in 1973 following recommendations from intergovernmental reviews involving figures associated with the Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism, the Royal Commission on the Economic Union and Development Prospects for Canada, and reports influenced by officials from the Privy Council Office and premiers such as those of Alberta, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador. Its creation echoed practices found in other federations such as the Council of Australian Governments and the Conference of State Governors (United States), and responded to strains visible during events like the Patriation of the Constitution negotiations and the Meech Lake Accord discussions. Over decades the Secretariat has adapted through periods marked by premiers including René Lévesque, Bill Davis, Frank McKenna and Mike Harris, and has supported conferences addressing issues reflected in accords like the Charlottetown Accord and initiatives involving the Canadian Intergovernmental Relations framework.
Mandate and Functions
The Secretariat’s mandate is to provide impartial meeting services, research support and procedural advice to participants in interprovincial and federal-provincial-territorial forums, including protocols associated with meetings that involve officials from Nunavut, Northwest Territories, Yukon, and Indigenous organizations such as the Assembly of First Nations and the Métis National Council. Its functions cover agenda preparation, document distribution, minute-taking and follow-up, as seen in meetings that engage departments like Health Canada, Indigenous Services Canada, Environment and Climate Change Canada and ministries from provinces such as Manitoba and Prince Edward Island. The Secretariat also supports thematic councils that bring together ministers responsible for files comparable to those managed by Employment and Social Development Canada, Transport Canada, and provincial counterparts in Saskatchewan and New Brunswick.
Governance and Organizational Structure
The Secretariat reports administratively within structures affiliated with the Privy Council Office and is overseen by a director who coordinates with deputy ministers, clerks of provincial cabinets, and equivalents in territorial administrations of Yukon and Nunavut. Its organizational chart integrates divisions responsible for conference management, policy and research, logistics, and communications, liaising with statutory bodies like the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages when bilingual capacity is required. Staffing includes career public servants drawn from national agencies including Global Affairs Canada, Public Safety Canada, and provincial public service cadres such as those in Quebec and British Columbia.
Meetings and Services Provided
The Secretariat arranges First Ministers’ conferences, deputy ministers’ coordination meetings, ministerial councils and working groups that often involve participants from provincial ministries such as Ontario Ministry of Health and territorial departments like the Government of the Northwest Territories Department of Health and Social Services. Services encompass venue booking in cities like Ottawa, Toronto, Québec City and Victoria, simultaneous interpretation for English and French in line with the Official Languages Act, secure handling of classified briefings akin to protocols used by National Defence (Canada), and digital distribution systems comparable to those used by Library and Archives Canada and provincial archives. It also produces backgrounders for topics intersecting with agencies such as Statistics Canada, Environment and Climate Change Canada and Health Canada.
Funding and Accountability
Funding for the Secretariat is appropriated through federal estimates administered by the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat and reflected in departmental reports submitted to the Parliament of Canada and committees such as the House of Commons Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates. Its accountability instruments include annual reports, audits compatible with standards set by the Office of the Auditor General of Canada, and parliamentary review processes similar to those applied to Crown agencies and units affiliated with the Privy Council Office. Budgetary considerations are coordinated with provincial treasuries such as those in Nova Scotia and Alberta when conferences entail cost-sharing arrangements.
Notable Conferences and Impact
The Secretariat supported First Ministers’ conferences during pivotal moments including sessions that addressed fiscal arrangements reminiscent of debates linked to the Canada Health Act, negotiations influenced by provincial premiers like Pierre Trudeau era counterparts, and meetings that tackled pan-Canadian responses to public health issues involving Health Canada and provincial health ministers. It also facilitated ministerial councils that shaped cooperative frameworks on interjurisdictional priorities comparable to outcomes produced by the Council of the Federation and agreements negotiated among provinces such as Ontario and Quebec on shared files. The Secretariat’s role in enabling sustained dialogue has been cited in analyses by scholars and institutions studying federal-provincial relations, including papers by academics associated with University of Toronto, McGill University, Queen's University, and think tanks like the Institute for Research on Public Policy.