Its mission has three main objectives: ensuring the equality of English and French within the Government of Canada and institutions subject to the Act; preserving and developing official language communities; and ensuring the equality of English and French in Canadian society at large.

From 1999 to 2006, the commissioner was Dyane Adam, who was born in Casselman, Ontario, and holds a doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of Ottawa.

After the federal election of January 2006, Prime Minister Stephen Harper requested that Adam prolong her term by a few months to give him time to find a suitable replacement.

[2] In November 2017, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau nominated Raymond Théberge, the President and Vice-Chancellor of Université de Moncton, as the commissioner replacing Fraser.

Théberge is the first Commissioner from Western Canada and from outside Ontario and Quebec.