Letter

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Dear Alternate Representatives:

Following the June 2002 Council Session and the Joint Public Advisory Committee's (JPAC) Regular Session 02-02 where a good dialogue was initiated between Council and JPAC as well as with the Alternate Representatives, we provided two Advice to Council, one on Capacity Building and Education Opportunities within the Sound Management of Chemicals (SMOC) Program and a second on the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) of North America and the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) Chapter 11.

In addition, on 4 July 2002, I wrote to Council expressing JPAC's support for further exploration of options for monitoring and follow-up on Articles 14 and 15 factual records. In that same letter, Council was requested to reconsider its decision to delay a public review on the matter of limiting the scope of factual records and authorize such a review without delay including reference to how the Parties intend to conduct the review and operation of Council Resolution 00-09. Finally, information was requested on the nature of the process related to the Tenth Anniversary of NAFTA.

We would also appreciate receiving Council's response to the JPAC recommendation in our Lessons Learned report on Articles 14 and 15 on the issue of confidentiality in light of the recent updates made to the Report on Public Access to Government-held Environmental Information. (...)