[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2006, Book I)]
[March 31, 2006]
[Pages 634-636]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Joint Statement by President George W. Bush, Prime Minister Stephen 
Harper of Canada, and President Vicente Fox 
Quesada of Mexico--The Security and Prosperity 
Partnership of North America: Progress
March 31, 2006

    Canada, Mexico and the United States share a continued commitment to 
enhance the security, prosperity and quality of life of our citizens 
within North America. We recognize that the success of our countries is 
enhanced by working cooperatively. The Security and Prosperity 
Partnership of North America, which celebrates its first anniversary 
this month, provides a framework for us to advance collaboration in 
areas as diverse as security, transportation, the environment and public 
health.
    This Partnership has increased our institutional contacts to respond 
to our vision of a stronger, more secure, and more prosperous region. In 
June 2005, our three governments released detailed work-plans 
identifying key initiatives that form an ambitious agenda of 
collaboration. Since June, we have worked to implement these 
initiatives. Many will take months or years to be completed, but we 
already note significant results. We ask our Ministers to build on this 
momentum.
    We have discussed how we can ensure North America is the most 
economically dynamic region in the world and a secure home for our 
citizens. Today, we exchanged views with private sector leaders on how 
to enhance the competitiveness of North America.
    Building on existing commitments, we agree that priority initiatives 
warrant special attention in the coming year:
    Strengthening Competitiveness in North America. We are pleased to 
announce the creation of a North American Competitiveness Council 
(NACC). The Council will comprise members of the private sector from 
each country and will provide us recommendations on North American 
competitiveness, including, among others, areas such as automotive and 
transportation, steel, manufacturing, and services. The Council will 
meet annually with security and prosperity Ministers and will engage 
with senior government officials on an ongoing basis.
    We are convinced that regulatory cooperation advances the 
productivity and competitiveness of our nations and helps to protect our 
health, safety and environment. For instance, cooperation on food safety 
will help protect the public while at the same time facilitate the flow 
of goods. We affirm our commitment to strengthen regulatory cooperation 
in this

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and other key sectors and to have our central regulatory agencies 
complete a trilateral regulatory cooperation framework by 2007.
    North American Emergency Management. A disaster--whether natural or 
man-made--in one of our countries can have consequences across national 
borders. Our vision for a North American response, relief and recovery 
strategy would ensure that critical equipment, supplies and personnel 
can be deployed expeditiously throughout North America. We commit to 
develop a common approach to critical infrastructure protection, 
coordinated responses to cross border incidents, and coordinated 
training and exercises, with the participation of all levels of 
government in our countries.
    Avian and Human Pandemic Influenza. Given the highly integrated 
nature of our economies, an outbreak of pathogenic avian flu or human 
pandemic influenza in any one of our countries would affect us all. 
Today, we have agreed to develop a comprehensive, science-based and 
coordinated approach within North America to avian influenza and human 
pandemic influenza management. We have endorsed a set of shared 
principles to underpin cooperative activities by our Governments in all 
stages of avian influenza and human pandemic influenza management: 
prevention; preparedness; response; and recovery. Pursuant to these 
principles, officials will develop, as an immediate priority, incident 
management protocols to ensure that we are well prepared in advance of 
an outbreak in North America. For instance, we have agreed to work 
together to accelerate research, development, production, and 
availability of human pandemic influenza vaccines, and develop a 
strategy to best facilitate the sharing of information to enhance the 
availability of vaccines to the region. We will also establish a small 
Coordinating Body of senior officials to ensure follow-up on these 
commitments.
    North American Energy Security. A sustainable, secure and affordable 
supply of energy is key to fueling the North American economy. 
Collaboration in the areas of innovation, energy efficiency, and 
technology development, including moving these technologies to market, 
promotes energy security. Our governments renew their commitment to 
trilateral cooperation on clean energy technologies, conservation, and 
market facilitation as a means to meeting our shared goals of energy 
security and sustainable development. Officials will also examine how 
this cooperation can be expanded to further our climate efforts.
    North American Smart, Secure Borders. Our vision is to have a border 
strategy that results in the fast, efficient and secure movement of low-
risk trade and travelers to and within North America, while protecting 
us from threats including terrorism. In implementing this strategy, we 
will encourage innovative risk-based approaches to improving security 
and facilitating trade and travel. These include close coordination on 
infrastructure investments and vulnerability assessments, screening and 
processing of travelers, baggage and cargo, a single integrated North 
American trusted traveler program, and swift law enforcement responses 
to threats posed by criminals or terrorists, including advancing a 
trilateral network for the protection of judges and officers.
    The Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America represents 
a broad and ambitious agenda. We instruct our Ministers to develop 
options to strengthen the SPP and present them next June as part of the 
second report on progress of the SPP.
    President Fox and President Bush were pleased to accept, on behalf 
of their countries, Prime Minister Harper's invitation to host the next 
trilateral leaders meeting in Canada in 2007.

Note: An original was not available for verification of the content of 
this joint statement.

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