Posted on 05/11/2007 6:42:38 AM PDT by hedgetrimmer
MINISTERIAL DECLARATION
Building on the spirit of cooperation, collaboration and accomplishment that has characterized the relationship among Canada, Mexico and the United States and which is embodied in the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), we the Ministers responsible for Transportation in North America, have met this day in Tucson, Arizona in order to confirm and advance our commitment to developing coordinated, compatible and interconnected national transportation systems. We affirm that such systems will support our shared vision for increased economic and social development, trade, tourism, cooperation and a healthy environment among our countries in the 21st century. We have met for the first time in Tucson to consider the future of our shared transportation interests in an increasingly globalized world. We have determined that this meeting will be the first of periodic meetings of transport ministers to monitor travel and trade trends, to continue discussions on future transportation needs, to reassess the priorities that we have set today and to chart our progress in light of our objectives.
During our discussions we have highlighted the fact that the globalization of our economies has yielded strong economic benefits to our citizens but that it has also put pressure on our ports, borders and airports. We have further recognized that because many of our most important infrastructure facilities are located in urban areas, greater volumes of international freight and passenger traffic, when combined with increasing local traffic, and without off-setting policies and programs will result in greater congestion, delay, degradation of environmental quality and higher shipping and travel costs.
We recognize that real economic benefits in North America result from open and fair trade, transparency in economic regulations, and sound, market-based economic policies, including appropriate regulatory frameworks, and genuine, innovative partnerships between the public and private sectors. We are convinced of the important role that a safe, efficient, well-integrated, and accessible transportation system with minimized environmental impact plays in the growth of trade of our nations and in the health and wellbeing of our citizens. We believe that actions to facilitate commerce across our borders in all modes of transport, especially in road transport, will improve supply chain and logistics processes and provide for continued North American competitiveness. In this regard, we recognize a need for adequate transportation infrastructure and efficient transportation services within and between our countries.
Building on our strong cooperative spirit, we have agreed on several core objectives to guide our future work. These are: 1) to continue to improve the safety, security, and efficiency of North American transportation systems, including gateways, 2) to ensure the adoption of new technologies and procedures, and investments in infrastructure improvements, 3) to improve intermodal connections, and 4) to expand the capacity of our freight and passenger transportation systems in partnership with other stakeholders, while minimizing transportation’s effect on the environment.
NEXT STEPS
We, the Ministers, recognize that our meeting today must be followed by action. Accordingly, we commit ourselves to beginning a process that, during the next ten years, will achieve the following specific outcomes, linked to the above objectives: Aviation Cooperation 1) Expand air relationships in a timely manner to meet the increasing demand for air services in North America with equitable opportunities for the three countries
2) Advance seamless air transport systems in North America.
3) Implement in the near term agreed core principles that will govern fractionally owned aircraft within North America
Trade Facilitation Cooperation
4) Improve the safety, security, efficiency and seamlessness of continental transport of people and goods.
Safety Cooperation
5) Develop seamless and systematic collection, sharing, and analysis of transportation and safety data across North America.
6) Reduce transportation related fatalities and injuries in North America
Regulatory and Information Cooperation
7) Create a mechanism or enhance existing mechanism(s) to increase transparency in the regulatory process, exchange best practices, and share information among regulators with the intent to strengthen trilateral regulatory cooperation and the compatibility of regulations.
We recognize these outcomes will challenge us and our successors and that for some there will be intermediate steps in their attainment.
To achieve these outcomes we will intensify our collaboration both bilaterally and trilaterally as appropriate. We will also be working through the existing vehicle of the Security and Prosperity Partnership initiative which has already yielded important and positive results across a wide spectrum of government cooperation among our three nations, and we will be working through other forums or creating new forums as specific plans and requirements evolve. As we come to the end of the first Global Road Safety Week, designed to raise awareness about the toll of road traffic deaths and injuries worldwide, we commit to improving road safety in North America through cooperation on effective programs designed to improve safety on our roadways.
CONCLUSION
We the Ministers responsible for transportation in North America are taking the opportunity presented here in Tucson to begin a new process of engagement to cooperatively and collaboratively assess the transportation needs of the NAFTA countries in light of changing global trade and tourism trends and the possible consequences of those changing trends on congestion, economic development and the environment. Our challenge, and that of our successors, is long term. We welcome this opportunity, and through sustained cooperation and goodwill, commit ourselves to achieving tangible results.
All of those things that we Americans are forced to have. I am betting that they will let the Mexican truckers get away with not.
Not unlike illegal immigration — we are told, “abide by the laws and pay your taxes” — but it is okay for illegals to do neither.
God help America and may He raise up a president that will obey the Constitution.
Carolyn
The NAU despises citizens. They are a ‘barrier to trade’, and so it is with sadistic pleasure that the globalists force American citizens to pay for their own demise.
Yeah, well, so did the Supreme Court in 1973.
The main reason this is happening I believe is (a0 have a greater ability to root out terrorism in neighboring countries and (b) have greater access to and transportation of natural resources that will shut off from the M.E. in the near future.
No one seems to have the political wall to stop Mexican illegal immigration (because abortion has indirectly caused a generational labor shortage that companies allow illegal immigrants to fill)
Because greater control of the process allows greater prevention of further terror action via the air. They are using and seek to use central america/mexico as a base of operations.
A Cabinet Secretary in this country is effectively the same thing as a Minister in another country, as I understand it. I doubt that we have a Shadow Minister of Transportation or some such.
“I’d like to know just who the “Ministers” are who are attending these meetings, especially the Americans...why aren’t their names anywhere to be found...at least I can’t find them.”
Information about the ‘ministers’ and the role they play is found here, in the document, “Building a North American Community”
http://canada.usembassy.gov/content/can_usa/northamericancommunity_TF_final.pdf
Sitting down? I would imagine that the ‘ministers’ were appointed from this list of attendees at last year’s meeting in Banff:
http://pesn.com/2006/09/29/9500242_NorthAmericanUnion_and_energy/NAU_Banff_participants_Sept2006.htm
And I found that link here, a WEALTH OF INFORMATION:
http://www.libertypost.org/cgi-bin/readart.cgi?ArtNum=160648&Disp=2#Ref._24
Then they should say, cabinet secretary, as they used to do. They no longer do, because we have unelected bureaucrats acting as ministers.
I am just appalled at the list of Americans who attended that secret meeting...the list is long...makes one wonder just how many there are who are so willing to sell our country down the tubes. I sure wasn’t surprised to see the name Dr. Robet Pastor on the list, as I’ve read before that he was the “brains” behind Carter giving away the Panama Canal, and this North American Trade mess has been his baby also. But I was really disgusted to see that Donald Rumsfield was there...tho I don’t know why I should have been even a bit surprised...just disappointed that men who have supposedly served this country in political AND military positions, are evidently so willing to help bring her down to a 3rd world level...to destroy the very foundations she was built on.
I do thank you so much for the response....I’m not well educated on getting around on the internet...I don’t have a computer...have a webtv unit...and it sure has its limits, but better than nothing.
You’re quite welcome Molly.
There are lots of threads on this subject here at FR as well. If you haven’t seen them, scroll up the page and next to the word ‘keywords’, click on ‘nau’ and you’ll find lots more information too.
I’ve also found the website ‘you tube’ very informative...just type in north american union in the search box...Lou Dobbs has covered this extensively and there are lots of clips from his coverage there!
Only saying I suspect the thinking behind it is greater control of what happens in the ENTIRE western hemisphere of travel. A sort of - dont just stop them from getting in here, increase the restrictions to get into central and south america by exerting more influence there.
—I could not help but notice that the Open boarder defender / Bush NWO bots have been laying low lately since news of the illegal alien muslim NJ terrorists plotting to attack Ft. DIX snuck in through the Mexican boarder.
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