The Commissioner of Official Languages is an independent officer of Parliament who monitors and promotes compliance with the Official Languages Act, which guarantees federal services in both English and French. The Commissioner investigates complaints about federal institutions failing to provide bilingual services, reports to Parliament on the state of official languages, and advocates for language rights. While the Commissioner's mandate is federal, official language obligations affect communities across Canada—from availability of federal services in minority language communities to language requirements for federal employment. The position ensures accountability for Canada's constitutional commitment to linguistic duality.