| Montreal, 5/04/2001 – The year's first regular session of the Joint Public Advisory Committee (JPAC) was convened in Winnipeg, Manitoba, on 16 March. Ms. Liette Vasseur, JPAC chair, presided over the meeting.
The JPAC session provided the public with an opportunity to share views and information on a workshop on trade and transportation corridors, convened by the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) on 15 May 2001. The CEC workshop brought together experts from Canada, Mexico and the United States in a series of panel discussions on institutional, technical and policy issues. In a keynote address, the Honourable Lloyd Axworthy, former Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs, made a compelling case for considering the environmental and human rights dimensions of this complex topic.
Input received from the public assisted JPAC in formulating its advice on the issue to the CEC Council, the organization's governing body.
Also at its regular session, JPAC finalized and approved its procedure, as set forth in the "Public Review of Issues Concerning the Implementation and Further Elaboration of Articles 14 and 15 of the NAAEC." This document is now available, in three languages, on the CEC web site. A printed copy may be obtained through Manon Pepin, JPAC Liaison Officer, at the CEC Secretariat (see contact details below).
JPAC also reviewed the draft report "Lessons Learned-Citizen Submissions under Articles 14 and 15 of the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation (NAAEC)," upon which the public has been invited to comment. The final document should be released at the Regular Session of Council in June.
Advice to Council was also developed and approved on two other issues. One relates to the upcoming Free Trade Area of the Americas agreement (FTAA), and addresses the need to provide a mechanism to manage the linkages between environment and trade. The other relates to foot and mouth and mad cow diseases, and urges Council to pursue a coordinated effort among the three governments of North America.
Other items of discussion included a decision not to develop a specific Advice to Council on genetically modified organisms, recognizing instead that JPAC and the CEC would be better served at this time by monitoring the issue and related events.
The next regular session will be held in June in conjunction with the Regular Session of Council, hosted by Mexico in Guadalajara. JPAC will communicate with Council, urging that the dates for the Council Session be finalized as soon as possible.
JPAC is a 15-member, independent, volunteer body that provides advice and public input to Council on any matter within the scope of the NAAEC.
Advice to Council and other documents related to JPAC are available on JPAC's web page. The Summary Record of this meeting will be available soon.
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