Agreement-in-Principle (Summary:Part II)

This is the longest and one of the more important parts of the AIP. It describes the functions and new structures that will be put in place for the Nunavik Government.

The creation of the Nunavik Government.

This part makes it clear that the Nunavik Government will assume all the powers, functions, responsibilities, resources, assets of the KRG, KSB, and NRBHSS, and that the ordinances, by-laws, regulations of these organization will remain in effect until the Nunavik Government decides otherwise, or unless otherwise modified by the amalgamation process. The Nunavik Government will also assume the responsibilities and privileges of the organizations that will be amalgamated, and it will be subject to the same laws, legal rights, and obligations regarding language use that are applicable to the KRG, KSB, and NRBHSS.

Part II also explains that certain institutions such as the Northern Villages and the Hospital Corporations will remain separate entities, but their relationship with the organizations to be amalgamated will be transferred to the Nunavik Government. Moreover, there are provisions that will allow the Avataq Cultural Institute, Taqramiut Nipingat Incorporated, and the Saputiit Youth Association, if they so wish, to act as Advisory Councils to the Nunavik Government, and have a special relationship with the Uqarvimarik and the Executive Council in their areas of expertise.

The Uqarvimarik

This part of the AIP describes the basic structure and operations of the elected assembly, which will be known as the Uqarvimarik. It is this body which will replace the Boards and Councils of the KRG, KSB, and NRBHSS.

The Uqarvimarik will consist of at least 21 members. Each community in Nunavik will elect a representative to this body, with an additional representative being elected by communities with a population greater than 2000. The Uqarvimarik will also include five members elected-at-large by voters in all the Nunavik communities, and one of these five representatives will be elected specifically as the Leader of the Nunavik Government.

In keeping with the fact that the Naskapi currently have a seat on the KRG Council, they will also have a representative in the Uqarvimarik. The scope and role of this representative will be one of the subjects that will be addressed at a special negotiating table with the Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach prior to the conclusion of the Final Agreement.

General elections for the Uqarvimarik will take place every three years, and this assembly will sit for at least four sessions every year. The initial election of the Uqarvimarik will take place shortly before the “effective date” on which the Nunavik Government is legally created. The AIP foresees the Quebec Director General of Elections being given a mandate by the Quebec National Assembly to help organize and establish rules for the initial election.


The Executive Council

The five representatives elected at large to the Uqarvimarik, including the Leader of the Government, will also fill the positions on the Executive Council. They will be responsible for overseeing the day-to-day activities and operations of the various departments of the Nunavik Government, and these will be full-time positions. It will be up to the Leaders of the Government to assign specific responsibilities to each member of the Executive Council, and this allocation of responsibilities will be submitted to the Uqarvimarik for approval.

Individuals holding positions on the Executive Council will be full members of the Uqarvimarik, will be accountable to the elected assembly for carrying their responsibilities and for keeping the Uqarvimarik informed about the management and the state of affairs of the Nunavik Government.

Standing Committees
The Uqarvimarik will have the power to set up Committees to examine specific issues on an ad hoc basis, as well as to establish Standing Committees to deal with areas of on-going responsibility or activity. Because of the importance of certain fields of activities, the AIP indicates that the initial structure of the Nunavik Government will include the following Standing Committees:

Standing Committee on Education,
Standing Committee on Health and Social Services,
Standing Committee on Social Housing, and
Standing Committee of Elders.

Each Standing Committee will meet at least twice a year, and will be able to consider and make enquiries and recommendations on matters for which they are responsible. Some Standing Committees could be composed of representatives from each community, although it will be up to the Uqarvimarik to determine the means for selecting people to sit on each committee. Members of the Executive Council will be obligated to respond to enquiries and recommendations issued by a Standing Committee.

Administration & Departments

Part II of the AIP also describes the initial administrative design and departments that will be put in place for the Nunavik Government.

Essentially, the administrative structure which currently comes under the KRG will generally remain intact and become the Department of Local and Regional Affairs in the Nunavik Government. The same will be true for most of the structure and operations of the KSB, which will become the Nunavik Government’s Department of Education. Likewise, the administration and activities of the NRBHSS will become the Department of Health and Social Services.

Although the administrative structures and functions of KRG, KSB, and NRBHSS will largely remain intact as departments of the Nunavik Government, there will be some exceptions. Certain administrative activities which are common to these organizations, supportive in nature, and not related to a specific field of activity, will be regrouped into a new unit which will be known as the Department of Central Administration and Finances. Payroll, bookkeeping, and maintenance are examples of the general type of functions that will be handled by this department.

In addition to the four departments described above, there will also be a Secretariat General. Its
main function will be to provide support for the Executive Council and to play a co-ordinating role among the different departments of the Nunavik Government. The Secretariat General will also be responsible for administrative support in circumpolar affairs and relations with other governments.

The AIP indicates that work on planning and organizing the administrative structure and departments of the new government will begin well before the effective date on which the Nunavik Government comes into existence. Much of this work will be guided by an Implementation Plan that will accompany the Final Agreement, and this work will be carried out by a Transition Committee which will rely heavily on the input of the management and staff of the KRG, KSB, and NRBHSS.


Other administrative and relationship matters

Part II also sets out a number of principles and objectives for the administrative design of the Nunavik Government. For example, the structure should be able to maintain the general quality and services of the existing public services provided to residents of Nunavik, and any savings realized through the harmonization of certain administrative functions will be used to improve other services.

The administrative design of the Nunavik Government will also seek to retain the expertise and abilities of the KRG, KSB, and NRBHSS, and it will respect the union accreditations and collective labour agreements in force at the time of the amalgamation of the three organizations. Moreover, Quebec will remain responsible for negotiating province-wide collective labour agreements applicable to employees of the Nunavik Government.

The AIP states that there will be a Quebec Minister specifically responsible for facilitating relations between the Governments of Quebec and Nunavik. However, it also explains that the Nunavik Government will also maintain a working relationship with other Quebec Ministers similar to what currently exits with KRG, KSB, and NRBHSS. Likewise, the relationship which exists between Makivik and the organizations to be amalgamated will be maintained by the Nunavik Government.

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Agreement-in-Principle (Overview)
Agreement-in-Principle (Summary:Part I)
Agreement-in-Principle (Summary:Part II)
Agreement-in-Principle (Summary:Part III)
Agreement-in-Principle (Summary:Part IV)
Agreement-in-Principle (Summary:Part V)

• April 12, 2005
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