Document de proposition de politique de la discussion en ligne : Université de l'Alberta (Section B)

Le document de proposition de politique suivant (en anglais seulement) a été écrit par Tanya Whyte, Katrina Kyselytzia, Mahuish Parves, Amy Stevens, Brett Campbell, Amandah van Merlin, Nau Luong, Eva Glancy, Mathew Marcotte, T. J. Trovato, Natasha Streeter, Lisa Ostrowski et Matt Trodden pour la classe de relations internationales de M. W. Andy Knight à l’Université de l'Alberta.

Voir la discussion en ligne sur le rôle du Canada en Amérique du Nord.

Note : Les opinions mentionnées ci-dessous ne sont pas nécessairement celles du gouvernement du Canada.

Sujet : Le rôle du Canada en Amérique du Nord

Université d'Alberta
POLS 260: Relations internationales, Section B
M. W. Andy Knight
30/Nov./2007

Question: What challenges do you believe governments and citizens in the three countries of North America will face in the next ten years?

Issues Identified:

Many issues between Canada, the United States, and Mexico could create challenges within the next ten years as these three countries develop into a unified continental power.  Overall, issues of environment and security are of greatest concern. Disputes over environmental management must be settled, and arrangements must be made to deal with arctic sovereignty. Similarly, we must address the frequency of border crossings, both legal and illegal, by both commodities and people. The sustainability of environmental resources as well as the safety of all citizens must be of primary concern in future policies.

Areas of Consensus/Agreement:

One of the increasingly relevant challenges facing North America is the issue of water and air pollution, which is not contained by continental boundaries. North America is a shared geographic environment, and all parties must consider problems such as acid rain, water pollution, and greenhouse gases because all are affected.  North Americans value a right to health, and the invasive nature of pollution undermines the concept of sovereignty that North American countries currently hold.

The issue of arctic sovereignty can be considered both an environmental issue as well as a security issue. Environmentally, jurisdiction over the north determines who has the power to control environmental abuses in transportation and resource development. The international use of the Northwest Passage poses a threat to Canadian security due to the increased access to a large and undefended border.

The movement of goods, licit and illicit, is and will continue to be an issue between Canada, the United States, and Mexico. The borders between these three countries are extensive, and it is difficult to monitor and maintain control over what passes over them. The trafficking of illegal drugs and other black market commodities are seen as major challenges. Also, in the area of legal trade, the softwood lumber dispute exemplifies the United States’ disregard for NAFTA regulations at the expense of Canada’s sovereignty.  American dominance over Canadian and Mexican markets threatens the independence of these countries.

The movement of people across the borders of the United States, Canada, and Mexico is unequally regulated, and a potential security concern. These three countries believe it is the state’s responsibility to protect and secure a good life for its citizens. As we become more regionalized, it is necessary for the three countries to be more uniform and flexible in their movement regulations across their borders. Unequal regulations fail to address the increase in cross-border labour demands, illegal migration, and also fail to promote a feeling of community that is necessary to advance as a unified continent.

Your response to eDiscussion question number 2:

As described, the major challenges that will affect Canada, Mexico, and the United States within the next ten years are environmental sustainability and the movement of licit and illicit commodities and people across international borders. An analysis of these issues reveals that American dominance will be a contributing factor to these difficulties. There is a clear power differential between the North American countries that must be taken into account when determining continental cooperation on these concerns.

Your policy recommendations concerning this issue (be as specific as possible).

As a possible solution to these future challenges, we recommend that the current arrangement between Canada, the United States, and Mexico be reworked to establish a new power structure within the continental system. Trans-national environmental organizations, such as NAFTA’s Commission for Environmental Cooperation , must be strengthened so as to promote environmental sustainability. In addition, asserting arctic sovereignty will allow for maintenance of the northern environment, as well as limit unnecessary American dominance over Canada.

In the economic arena, trade policies need to be acknowledged by all parties as legally binding agreements, and equal consequences must be put in place to deal with the breaking of those agreements by any of the involved countries. As all three countries believe strongly in the rule of law, this should be relatively easy to come to a consensus on.

The relaxation of internal borders, combined with the tightening of the external perimeter, will be the best policy in ensuring the personal security of North Americans. If the flow of people between borders is facilitated, then immigration into the region in its entirety needs to be more controlled and secure as well. This stricter control of entrance points into both Mexico and Canada, to equal that of the United States, could reduce the risk of terrorist activity within the borders of our continent.

A step towards better cooperation is in limiting American hegemony, which would involve renegotiating policy to take into account the current power differential between the North American countries. By acknowledging the equality of our three states, a value that we all share, this can be facilitated.

We are optimistic that such cooperation can occur, as North Americans already share basic values such as democracy, human rights, and prosperity, upon which a better policy structure can be constructed.

Works Cited

Note: Les liens désuets ont été supprimés de la bibliographie de l'auteur.

Ackleson, Jason.  “Achieving Security and Prosperity: Migration and North American Economic Integration.” Immigration Policy in Focus 5, issue 2 (February 2006). Accessed 13 November 2007.

CBC News.  CBC News In Depth: Northwest Passage.  8 August 2006.  Accessed 13 November 2007.

Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada.  Softwood Lumber.  18 July 2007. Accessed 13 November 2007.

Office of the New York State Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo.  N.Y. Initiates NAFTA Push to Cut Ontario Pollution.  1 May 2003 Accessed 13 November 2007.