Strategic Plan

Established through the Nunavut Agreement, the Nunavut Marine Council (NMC) is a mechanism for utilizing the shared experience and knowledge of Nunavut’s Institutions of Public Government to address marine issues that are broader than any one organization’s mandate. An extension of the integrated resource management system established through the Nunavut Agreement, NMC initiatives are advanced through coordination and cooperation between the board members and staff of the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board (NWMB), the Nunavut Planning Commission (NPC), the Nunavut Impact Review Board (NIRB) and the Nunavut Water Board (NWB).

The NMC has a Strategic Plan in place which addresses the period of operations from 2018-2023. The Strategic Plan outlines the existing role of the NMC as well as a vision for what it could accomplish with additional resources moving forward for a five-year period. The Strategic Plan describes activities planned for the next five (5) years to promote awareness and provide advice and advocacy for two (2) priority areas with current funding levels: marine shipping and marine conservation.

The goals of the Strategic Plan are to:

1. Establish the NMC as a key voice on marine shipping.
2. Establish the NMC as a key voice on marine conservation.

Mandate

Section 15.4.1 of Article 15 of the Nunavut Agreement states that: the NIRB, the NWB, the NPC, and the NWMB may jointly, as a Nunavut Marine Council (NMC), or severally, advise and make recommendations to other government agencies regarding the marine areas, and Government shall consider such advice and recommendations in making decisions which affect marine areas.

Vision

Building on the language in the Nunavut Agreement, the business case developed by the NMC in 2012 and the 2017 strategic planning workshop, the NMC adopts the following vision for itself over the 2018-2023 period:

“To be an active, effective and respected voice on marine issues for Nunavummiut.”

Mission

The NMC will achieve its vision by performing three (3) key functions, as part of its mission:

By raising awareness, providing advice and undertaking advocacy, ensure the ongoing protection and wise use of the marine areas of the Nunavut Settlement Area (NSA) for the long-term benefit of Inuit, the people of Nunavut and the people of Canada, in a manner consistent with the principles of Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit and Article 15 of the Nunavut Agreement (Marine Areas).

Funding

As the NMC, the NIRB, the NPC, the NWB and the NWBM first began receiving a small amount of dedicated annual funding in the 2015-16 fiscal year for activities undertaken in support of implementing NMC activities. This NMC funding is provided by the Government of Canada through the implementation of the Nunavut Agreement and is disbursed in equal amounts to the NIRB, the NPC, the NWB and NIRB, NPC, NWB and the NWBM through annual contribution agreements. Currently this funding level is set at $25,000 each, indexed for inflation.

The NMC is actively seeking opportunities to access funding which will support undertaking additional initiatives.

To discuss potential collaboration on issues identified within the Strategic Plan, contact us.