Part VI – Article 34 – Section 34.07 – Subsections (1) (2) (3) of the 1997 Manitoba Framework Agreement (MFA):
34.07 Responsibilities of the Implementation Monitoring Committee
With the assistance of the independent Chairperson, representatives from the signatories to the MFA who are appointed to the IMC, address issues of concern in the implementation phase and develop consensus on how to resolve issues.
(1) The Implementation Monitoring Committee shall be generally responsible for facilitating the implementation of the MFA and any Treaty Entitlement Agreements, including:
(a) establishing a budget of the reasonable estimated costs of its operation in each fiscal year, being the period from April 1 to March 31 in any year, or any part of a fiscal year in which it operates;
(b) monitoring of the progress of implementation;
(c) making recommendations to the parties for the resolution of any issue or matter in dispute relating to the implementation of this Agreement or any Treaty Entitlement Agreement;
(d) resolving any issue or matter in dispute relating to the implementation of this Agreement or any Treaty Entitlement Agreement which is referred to it by a party or an Entitlement First Nation under this Agreement or that Treaty Entitlement Agreement; and
(e) considering the appropriate method of resolution of an issue or matter in dispute relating to the implementation of this Agreement or any Treaty Entitlement Agreement in accordance with Article 35.
(2) Subject to Subsections 34.03(1) and 34.05(1) of the MFA, the Implementation Monitoring Committee shall meet upon the call of the Chairperson in accordance with Subsections 34.09(2) and (3) of the MFA.
(3) The Implementation Monitoring Committee shall operate within the budget established in accordance with (1)(a), unless the parties agree otherwise. Where the IMC is unable to resolve an issue, they may refer it to the Senior Advisory Committee (SAC) with recommendations on how to resolve the issue. The SAC consists of the Regional Director General of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (Manitoba Region), the Deputy Minister of Manitoba Aboriginal and Northern Affairs, and the TLE Committee of Manitoba Inc. Board President. The IMC’s dispute resolution methods are progressive. The IMC may recommend fact-finding, mediation services, non-binding arbitration and arbitration to resolve disputes.