2009 Symposium:
Boundary Waters Treaty Centennial Symposium
Presented by The Wayne Law Review in association with Wayne State University Law School and the University of Windsor
Details:
Thursday, February 5, 2009
8:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Wayne State University Law School
Spencer M. Partrich Auditorium
471 West Palmer Street
Detroit, Michigan 48202
The Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909 is perhaps the most important bilateral agreement in Canada-U.S. relations. Over the past century, it has provided a foundation for environmental cooperation and equality between the United States and Canada. Signed at a time when disagreement over the shared waterways could have divided the nations, the Boundary Waters Treaty established a binational tribunal, the International Joint Commission, to investigate, resolve and prevent boundary water disputes between the two countries.
Over the last 100 years, the Boundary Waters Treaty and the International Joint Commission have been fundamental in preventing and resolving boundary water disputes between Canada and the United States. The Treaty has also served as an archetype for multiple bilateral agreements between nations. However, in recent years, challenges for boundary water resources triggered a movement toward a more unilateral approach in dealing with international waterways. Thus, the role of the Boundary Waters Treaty - today and in the future - must be examined. This symposium, recognizing the 100-year anniversary of the 1909 Boundary Waters Treaty, will explore its history, its impact and its continued relevance moving forward into the next century.
Symposium Schedule and Speakers
Opening remarks and introduction of the Rt. Hon. Herb Gray, P.C., C.C., Q.C., Canadian Chair of the IJC - Robert Noble, Consul General of Canada
Opening Keynote Address - The Rt. Hon. Herb Gray, P.C., C.C., Q.C., Canadian Chair of the IJC
Panel I - The Boundary Waters Treaty and Canada-U.S. Relations
- Professor Tim Heinmiller, Brock University
- Allen I. Olson, International Joint Commission
- Professor Austen Parrish, Southwestern Law School
- Dr. Charles A. Lawson, United States Secretary, International Joint Commission
Moderator: Professor Marcia Valiante, University of Windsor Law School
Lunchtime Keynote Address - Lee Botts and Paul Muldoon, authors of "Evolution of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement"
Panel II - The Boundary Waters Treaty and International Environmental Law
- Professor Bradley Karkkainen, University of Minnesota Law School
- Professor John Knox, Wake Forest School of Law
- Pierre Trépanier, International Joint Commission
- Robert Wright, Vice-Chair, Environmental Review Tribunal
Moderator: Dr. Murray Clamen, Canadian Secretary, International Joint Commission
Panel III - The Boundary Waters Treaty and Protecting Freshwater Resources in North America
- Professor Robert Abrams, Florida A&M University Law School
- Frank Ettawageshik, Tribal Chairman, Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians
- Sam Speck, International Joint Commission
- Professor Dan Tarlock, Chicago-Kent College of Law
Moderator: Professor Noah Hall, Wayne State University Law School
Panel IV - The Future of the Boundary Waters Treaty - Perspectives from NGOs and Business
- Irene B. Brooks, International Joint Commission
- George Kuper, President and Chief Executive Officer Council of Great Lakes Industries
- Anastasia Lintner, Staff Lawyer & Economist, Ecojustice Canada
- Joseph Polito, Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn LLP, Environmental Law
Moderator: Jack Blaney, International Joint Commission
Recent Symposia
Past Symposia
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2003
2001
2000
1999
