The troubled renewal of the Canada-Ontario agreement respecting great lakes water quality

Abstract

Powerful constituent governments can have a significant impact on a federal nation's ability to implement international agreements. Negotiating written agreements is one strategy for achieving policy coordination in nations with such governments. This article examines the Canada-Ontario Agreement (COA) Respecting Great Lakes Water Quality, which helps Canada to meet its obligations under its Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement with the United States. First negotiated in 1971, COA was regularly renegotiated without incident until the most recent round of negotiations, which began in 1991 and continued into 1994. The negotiating issues that proved so contentious during this round are examined, as is the impact on the negotiations of developments on the broader Canadian political scene. © 1995, CSF Associates.