Montreal, 16/07/2002 – Mr. Jon Plaut, chair of the Joint Public Advisory Committee (JPAC) of the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) of North America for the year 2002, presided over JPAC's regular session in Ottawa on 17-19 June 2002, held in conjunction with the 2002 Regular Session of the CEC Council (composed of the environment ministers of North America).
Capacity Building and Education within the CEC's Sound Management of Chemicals Program
JPAC organized two plenary sessions with the public to solicit ideas on how capacity building and educational opportunities could be further developed within the Sound Management of Chemicals program (SMOC). To stimulate the discussion, a background paper on these subjects had been prepared in advance of the sessions.
The substantive and varied ideas received from the public were discussed by JPAC during its regular session and formed the basis for Advice to Council 02-08, identifying various avenues for further engaging civil society in the activities of SMOC. The advice also reiterates JPAC's call for the development of a North American Regional Action Plan on lead, making the link to the CEC's commitment in children's environmental health.
NAFTA Chapter 11
JPAC also organized a public meeting on issues involving NAFTA's Chapter 11. A paper, prepared by Aaron Cosbey from the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), was used as a platform for the discussion. IISD had organized workshops in the three national capitals in spring 2002. Each of the JPAC Chapter 11 working group members attended one of these workshops. Individuals representing a wide range of perspectives attended this public session.
JPAC took up the discussion in its session. Instructions for Advice to Council 02-09 were developed, making the link with Council's obligations under Article 10(6) of the North American Agreement on Environment Cooperation (NAAEC).
This Advice urges Council continue to take up the matters of transparency, due process, openness and accountability and makes several suggestions on ways in which this could be done. JPAC will also be organizing a second public workshop on Chapter 11 in conjunction with the CEC Symposium on the Environmental Effects of Trade scheduled for March 2003.
Article 13 Report on Electricity
During the regular session, the CEC Secretariat's Article 13 Report on the Evolving North American Electricity Market was discussed and it was decided not to develop any specific advice on the recommendations at this point. However, JPAC is greatly interested in the recommendations made in this report and will closely monitor follow-up to them and produce an advice, if necessary, at a future date.
Follow-up to JPAC Advice to Council on Articles 14 and 15 of the NAAEC
As reported to the public in the regular session, JPAC recommended that Council look again at JPAC's revised wording for the recommendation on monitoring and follow up to factual records, as contained in JPAC's Lessons Learned report on Articles 14 and 15 of NAAEC. JPAC again aired its disappointment at Council's decision not to authorize a public review at this time on the matter of the scope of factual records, and asked Council to review its decision in light of views expressed during the public portion of the regular session.
World Summit on Sustainable Development
It was also reported that Council had decided not to pursue a separate venue for showcasing the CEC at the upcoming World Summit on Sustainable Development, but each of the countries will be represented at the Summit and will outline CEC initiatives.
Tenth Anniversary of NAFTA and the NAAEC
Finally, JPAC will be very pleased to collaborate with the Council in a retrospective of achievements of NAFTA and the NAAEC over the past ten years and will work with the Council to ensure broad public participation.
Next JPAC Meetings
Council strongly supported JPAC's offer to consult the public on issues related to freshwater and private sector financing for sustainable development. The two next JPAC meetings will be organized around these topics.
On 3-4 October in Santa Fe, New Mexico, JPAC will organize a public session to discuss the CEC Secretariat's scoping document on freshwater and how freshwater matters can be introduced as a crosscutting theme in the Program Plan. This will be followed by a JPAC regular session to review the draft CEC Program Plan for 2003-2005.
On 9-10 December in Monterrey, Nuevo León, a CEC public workshop will consider financing and the environment, and then be followed by a JPAC regular session that will have as its goal providing an advice to Council on this issue.
The CEC and JPAC
The CEC was established by Canada, Mexico and the United States to build cooperation among the North American Free Trade Agreement partners in implementing NAAEC, the environmental side accord to NAFTA. The CEC addresses environmental issues of continental concern, with particular attention to the environmental challenges and opportunities presented by continent-wide free trade.
JPAC is a 15-member, independent, volunteer body that provides advice and public input to Council on any matter within the scope of NAAEC. JPAC is composed of fifteen members, five from each of the three NAFTA countries, and is responsible for providing advice to the CEC Council on any matter within the scope of NAAEC.
For more information about the CEC and JPAC, please consult the web site at http://www.cec.org or contact:
Manon Pepin
JPAC Liaison Officer
Commission for Environmental Cooperation of North America
393, rue St-Jacques Ouest, Bureau 200
Montréal, Québec, Canada H2Y 1N9
Tel: (514) 350-4300; Fax: (514) 350-4314
E-mail: mpepin@ccemtl.org
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