The International Joint Commission (IJC) is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Pierre Baril as Canadian Commissioner and Co-Chair of the IJC

OTTAWA, ON, July 2, 2024 /PRNewswire/ - A graduate of Laval University who also holds a masters and doctoral degrees in engineering from the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL; Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Lausanne, Switzerland), Dr. Pierre Baril is an agricultural engineer who has spent the last 20 years with the Government of Québec, occupying a variety of successive roles: Vice-President of the Centre de recherche industrielle du Québec (Quebec Centre for Industrial Research), Assistant Deputy Minister for Policy at the Ministère de l'Environnement, de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques, de la Faune et des Parcs  (Quebec Ministry of Environment, Fight Against Climate Change, Wildlife and Parks), Executive Director of Ouranos and President of the Bureau d'audiences publiques sur l'environnement (Bureau of Environmental Public Hearings).

Over the course of his professional career, Dr. Baril has acquired significant experience and knowledge in the field of consulting engineering, as well as expertise in environmental policies, water management and climate change – most recently, he led a team dedicated to the modernization of environmental regulations in Québec.

Dr. Baril has also served on boards of directors at numerous non-governmental associations, such as Nature Québec, Réseau Environnement (Environment Network), the Réseau International des Organismes de Bassin et l'Office International de l'Eau (International Network of Basin Organizations and the International Office for Water) and the Marine Environmental Observation, Prediction and Response Network (MEOPAR),  .

As stipulated under Article XII of the Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909 (the IJC's foundational document), Commissioner Baril made a solemn declaration that he will faithfully and impartially perform his duties as IJC Commissioner on June 28th, working with other United States and Canadian Commissioners in binational oversight roles related to water quality and quantity in basins where governments have requested the IJC's assistance.

SOURCE International Joint Commission