In this study, IRPP Senior Economist Daniel Schwanen proposes a treaty of North America, the\u00a0purpose of which would be to enhance existing mutually beneficial linkages between the three\u00a0countries. This treaty would foster an environment where nationals and companies would feel\u00a0more secure and comfortable in each other’s countries, despite the likelihood that significant\u00a0cross-border differences would remain. It would establish a tripartite process that would, over\u00a0time, deepen and broaden the basis of interaction across national borders in North America,\u00a0while fully recognizing domestic priorities, unique North American circumstances and an increasingly\u00a0open and competitive world.<\/p>\n
Accordingly, the proposed treaty does not seek to impose a new, onerous political or legal superstructure\u00a0on relationships that already work well. Rather, it would enhance the development of a\u00a0community of North Americans, which is already operating or incipient at many levels. It would\u00a0embed successful modes of cooperation and ongoing initiatives; for example, those in the areas\u00a0of security or in certain regulatory affairs. The project also recognizes that some measures could\u00a0be applied asymmetrically between the three countries.<\/p>\n
Relative to both the status quo and to many other proposals, the draft treaty contains a number of\u00a0distinctive features. An independent commission, specifically charged with promoting principles\u00a0underlying the agreement such as fair and open commercial relations, would be established. It\u00a0would be empowered to intervene under certain circumstances with governments, agencies, regulators,\u00a0courts and dispute settlement panels when it considered that the underlying principles were\u00a0not being applied or specific commitments observed. The commission would not be able to override\u00a0existing trade-related legislation, but its queries, findings and recommendations would have to\u00a0be addressed or responded to by governments and other relevant public bodies. The treaty also\u00a0provides that the commission propose a set of recommendations to the three governments a few\u00a0years after the treaty becomes effective, to further its objectives. While existing restrictions would\u00a0not initially be modified, the idea is to make them even less relevant in a context where rules governing\u00a0cross-border commercial relations explicitly take fairness as well as access into account.\u00a0The proposed treaty makes extensive allowance for regulatory differences where warranted,\u00a0although it encourages useful regulatory rationalization between treaty signatories where objectives\u00a0and circumstances are similar. It also encourages regional regulatory templates where appropriate,\u00a0for example, in the truck transportation or energy domains.<\/p>\n
More than does NAFTA, the draft treaty emphasizes the involvement of individuals and representative\u00a0groups other than those in the business sector, and more explicitly defines their stake in\u00a0managing North American integration. For example, the treaty would enhance the ability of\u00a0nationals to seek work without being discriminated against and to have their legitimate skills recognized,\u00a0and it adopts the basic principles of a North American guest worker program. It also\u00a0proposes a cohesion fund to improve the transportation and communications infrastructure;\u00a0address the environmental, health and security concerns raised by more open borders; and provide\u00a0workers with the education and training needed to gain basic leverage in the wider market.\u00a0Legislators and various civil society groups would be represented on separate North American\u00a0committees, whose primary role would be to advise the commission. Also, the project requires\u00a0very significant state and provincial government involvement to be effective.<\/p>\n
The treaty proposes a precise definition of security that includes protecting a partner’s flank\u00a0against unintended consequences of changes in some domestic laws or in relations with third\u00a0parties. This concept would be aided by a permanent trilateral process whereby legislators and\u00a0independent experts would examine policies that may affect security in a signatory country. The objective in this process would be to ensure a continuing high level of confidence that the deepening\u00a0of mutually beneficial linkages within North America does not jeopardize the security\u00a0dimension, while at the same time safeguarding the three countries’ sovereignty.<\/p>\n
In Deeper, Broader: A Roadmap for a Treaty of North America, Daniel Schwanen has contributed\u00a0a concrete proposal to advance the ongoing discussions and debate concerning the future of the\u00a0relationship between Canada, the United States and Mexico. While ambitious in scope, it realistically\u00a0portrays what the three countries of North America could do together to enhance their\u00a0common weal and sketches out a process that could inform current and future administrative and\u00a0political decisions to that effect.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In this study, IRPP Senior Economist Daniel Schwanen proposes a treaty of North America, the\u00a0purpose of which would be to enhance existing mutually beneficial linkages between the three\u00a0countries. This treaty would foster an environment where nationals and companies would feel\u00a0more secure and comfortable in each other’s countries, despite the likelihood that significant\u00a0cross-border differences would remain. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","meta":{"content-type":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10291","research-studies","type-research-studies","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n