Advice to Council 96-07 — Term of office for Joint Public Advisory Committee (JPAC) Members

DISTRIBUTION: General
J/96-05/ADV/07/Rev.2
ORIGINAL: English

Term of office for Joint Public Advisory Committee (JPAC) Members

The Joint Public Advisory Committee (JPAC) of the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC):

IN ACCORDANCE with the request of Council, JPAChasdeveloped a proposal on a possible option regarding the term of office of the members of the Joint Public Advisory Committee; and

RECOGNIZING that the term of office should be the same for the three Parties and that the main objectives are as follows:

• Establish a permanent, uniform process;
• Maximize the smooth continuation of operations during the transition period;
• Allow contributing members to continue their terms to ensure that committee work is followed up;
• Continue to elect a Chair for a one-year term from among the members of JPAC. A Canadian member will continue to serve the first term, an American member the second term, and a Mexican member the third term, consecutively;
• Establish a flexible process so that the quorum will not be destabilized; and
• Avoid short terms in order to reduce the administrative burden on the Parties.

HEREBY RESOLVES that JPAC propose to Council that the JPAC Rules of Procedure be amended to include a new article regarding the term of office, such article to indicate that:

1. The term of office of each JPAC member will be three years, renewable for additional increments of one, two or three years as the Parties decide;
2. The expiration date of JPAC members will coincide with the Annual Council Session, with the proviso that in the event a successor has not been appointed, those members whose terms have expired will continue to serve until successors are appointed; and
3. A member absent for three consecutive JPAC meetings without explanation be deemed to have resigned.