International relations have been an important element of CMEC activities virtually from the beginning.
CMEC’s mandate internationally is that of coordinating the collective responsibility of the provinces and territories for education where the activities concerned require experts, delegates or reports that speak for Canadian education authorities as a whole.
This mandate involves two different roles. The first and most frequent is that of coordinating and supporting collective provincial and territorial input into international discussion of educational policy issues. The second is more complex: CMEC has a role in providing national leadership and a strong voice in education in Canada, and this role extends to the international scene.
CMEC’s international activities have traditionally involved three major international organizations, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and the Commonwealth. While other partnerships have been formed with the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO), the Council of Europe, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Education Forum, the Organization of American States (OAS), and the Summit of the Americas process, both OECD and UNESCO, as well as the Commonwealth, continue to play a prominent role.
In the context of its UNESCO activities, CMEC established the Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials (CICIC) after Canada ratified the UNESCO Convention on the Recognition of Studies, Diplomas and Degrees concerning Higher Education in the States belonging to the Europe Region, in 1990, to assist Canada in carrying out its obligations under the terms of this convention. The convention promotes international mobility by advocating wider recognition of higher education and professional qualifications. CICIC acts as a national clearing house and referral service to support the recognition and portability of Canadian and international educational and occupational qualifications.
The following framework of priorities is applied to CMEC’s international work program:
- issues of direct relevance to CMEC’s national education agenda
- continued strong presence in the work of OECD and UNESCO
- emphasis given to the American, European, and Asia-Pacific regions
Through our agreement with the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT), CMEC works with the International Academic Relations Division to ensure a Canadian presence in education-related international activities.
