The Government of Canada, the Government of the United Mexican States and the
Government of the United States of America:
CONVINCED of the importance of the conservation, protection and enhancement of
the environment in their territories and the essential role of cooperation in these areas
in achieving sustainable development for the well-being of present and future generations;
REAFFIRMING the sovereign right of States to exploit their own resources
pursuant to their own environmental and development policies and their responsibility to
ensure that activities within their jurisdiction or control do not cause damage to the
environment of other States or of areas beyond the limits of national jurisdiction;
RECOGNIZING the interrelationship of their environments;
ACKNOWLEDGING the growing economic and social links between them, including the
North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA);
RECONFIRMING the importance of the environmental goals and objectives of the
NAFTA, including enhanced levels of environmental protection;
EMPHASIZING the importance of public participation in conserving, protecting and
enhancing the environment;
NOTING the existence of differences in their respective natural endowments,
climatic and geographical conditions, and economic, technological and infrastructural
capabilities;
REAFFIRMING the Stockholm Declaration on the Human Environment of 1972
and the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development of 1992;
RECALLING their tradition of environmental cooperation and expressing their
desire to support and build on international environmental agreements and existing
policies and laws, in order to promote cooperation between them; and
CONVINCED of the benefits to be derived from nacec.a framework, including a
Commission, to facilitate effective cooperation on the conservation, protection and
enhancement of the environment in their territories;