On-line Consultation

NGO, legislators and academia must be invited to North American Summits

A consultation conducted by the North American Forum on Integration (NAFI) reveals that 95% of the two hundred Canadians, Mexicans and Americans consulted believe that large firms should not have been the only ones consulted during the North American Summit which took place in Montebello last August.

The large majority of the respondents state that North American governments must also request NGO (76%) advice within the Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP) framework.

Legislators arrive second with a total of 70% of respondents who deplore their absence in these high level summits. The participation of elected representatives is mostly important to the Canadians consulted, as three fourth of them disapprove of their absence in the Montebello Summit.

Furthermore 61% of respondents mention that North American Head of States should invite academia when considering the course of the trilateral partnership. The presence of academia is especially important to 69% of the Anglophone respondents.

Two groups, the environmentalists and the unions, did not gather a majority of votes as to their participation in North American summits. Less than 50% of respondents thought that these two groups should be included in the North American summits. Only 33% of Mexican respondents believe that union representatives should be consulted. The rate reached 61% among Francophones.

This consultation illustrates that most respondents consider that the governments are mistaken in only calling upon large firms for advice. Concerns regarding the well being of the North American population as well as the inclusion of a larger spectrum of interests seem to justify the participation of other entities such as NGOs, legislators and academia in North American summits. Let us however take note that some respondents state that non-governmental groups, including large firms, should not be consulted.

Other respondents suggest that Canadian provincial governments as well as American and Mexican State governments should be invited to these summits, due to their jurisdiction in many of the North American issues.

The consultation was conducted by NAFI, in collaboration with the Center for international studies and research of the Université de Montréal (CERIUM). A total of 173 people participated via internet during the months of September and October 2007. The respondents are predominately professionals, government officials, academia and students of the three North American countries.

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