| Montreal, 18/03/2002 – On behalf of the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC), I cordially invite you to attend the public meetings of the ninth regular session of the Council of the CEC and parallel events on 17-19 June 2002, in Ottawa, Canada.
The CEC was established by the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation (NAAEC) to build cooperation among the partners of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)--Canada, Mexico and the United States--in addressing environmental issues of common concern, with a particular focus on the environmental opportunities and challenges presented by continent-wide free trade.
The CEC Council, the organization's governing body, is composed of the ministers of environment of the three countries: the Canadian Minister of Environment, Mr. David Anderson; the Mexican Secretary for Environment and Natural Resources, Mr. Victor Lichtinger; and the US Environmental Protection Agency Administrator, Ms. Christine Todd Whitman.
During its session, the Council will examine opportunities and challenges for enhancing North American Environmental Cooperation and identify priorities for 2003 and beyond. In parallel to the regular session of the Council, the Joint Public Advisory Committee (JPAC) will hold a regular session, including round table discussions on education and capacity building opportunities for the Sound Management of Chemicals, as well as a session on NAFTA Chapter 11. JPAC, composed of 15 members from Canada, Mexico and the United States, provides advice to the Council on all matters within the scope of the NAAEC.
Limited financial assistance is available for not-for-profit organizations and individuals who pre-register. In addition, individuals who would like to make an oral presentation during the public portion of the Council may be given this opportunity. Please refer to the preliminary program of public events and pre-registration form for additional information and details relating to the presentation of oral statements and criteria for the selection of recipients of financial assistance. The deadline to pre-register, submit a request for financial assistance and/or for presenting an oral statement to the Council is 21 April 2002. As space is limited, we encourage you to pre-register for these events. You may download the preliminary program of public events and pre-registration form from: <http://www.cec.org>.
Additional information related to the above events will be sent to pre-registered participants as it becomes available and will be posted on the CEC web site.
Should you require further information, please do not hesitate to contact Daniel Brevé by phone at (514) 350-4368; by fax at (514) 350-4345; or by e-mail at <dbreve@ccemtl.org>.
On behalf of everyone at the CEC, I look forward to seeing you in Ottawa.
Sincerely yours,
Janine Ferretti
Executive Director
Commission for Environmental Cooperation
393, rue Saint-Jacques Ouest, Bureau 200
Montréal (Québec) Canada H2Y 1N9
Tel: (514) 350-4300; Fax: (514) 350-4314
E-mail: dbreve@ccemtl.org
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