Mexico City, Mexico – 18 February 2014
Mexico is one of Canada's closest friends and partners. Building on 70 years of excellent bilateral relations, the Government of Canada remains committed to further strengthening this relationship.
To this end, on February 18, 2014, Prime Minister Stephen Harper, together with Enrique Peña Nieto, President of Mexico, announced the renewal of the Canada-Mexico Joint Action Plan for a further three year period (2014-2016).
The Joint Action Plan is a framework that outlines the extent of the broad and multi-faceted Canada-Mexico relationship and helps guide it forward. Building upon the 2007 and 2010 Joint Action Plans, it reaffirms our commitment to the bilateral relationship, outlines our priorities going forward along with concrete initiatives to advance them, and enables the two countries to take stock and monitor progress.
The 2014-2016 Canada-Mexico Joint Action Plan outlines four priority areas for engagement:
Fostering Competitive and Sustainable Economies
Canada and Mexico's economic ties have evolved over the years from an export-focused relationship to a sophisticated and multi-faceted partnership which includes strong leadership and participation in an integrated North American production platform. Both countries have a joint interest in the vitality of this relationship, and in strengthening North American competitiveness.
The two countries are also seeking to expand and strengthen trade and investment ties globally, including by deepening our supply chains to the Americas and Asia. Canada and Mexico have joined negotiations for the Trans-Pacific Partnership and Canada became an observer to the Pacific Alliance, an initiative launched by Mexico, along with Chile, Colombia and Peru, to create an area of deep integration to progress toward the free movement of goods, services, capital and people.
On a bilateral basis, we continue to both renew and expand our economic relationship to build greater competitiveness. As energy- and resource-rich nations, we can work together to best benefit from these assets. Aligning regulatory approaches to reduce unnecessary differences can facilitate additional business connections between our two countries. For instance, Canada and Mexico are working to implement and expand our Bilateral Air Transport Agreement to enhance mobility and strengthen logistical linkages.
Protecting our citizens
Trafficking in illicit goods, irregular migration and infectious pandemics knows no borders, and affects the safety and security of our citizens.
The consumption of illicit drugs and the significant flow of precursor chemicals, arms, goods and resources into and through North America have a corrosive influence on the rule of law, fuel corruption, compromise the legitimate flow of people and commerce, and undermine the security of citizens in the entire region. Canada and Mexico approach these challenges from a multidisciplinary perspective and with a renewed determination to take effective actions against the threats posed by both domestic and transnational organized crime.
Irregular migration also concerns Canada and Mexico, as efforts by human traffickers and smugglers to contravene national borders challenge the sovereignty of our nations. In successive Joint Action Plans, Canada and Mexico have partnered in a multi-pronged effort to ensure the safe and secure movement of people internationally, while curtailing the influence and destructive reach of transnational organized crime groups, as well as other threats, which have direct negative impacts on national, continental and hemispheric security.
Enhancing People-to-People Contacts
Over 1.9 million Canadians and 200,000 Mexicans come as visitors to each other's country each year, and the population of permanent residents is also significant and increasing. Additionally, close to 20,000 workers come to Canada through the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program, the Temporary Foreign Worker Program and the Labour Mobility Mechanism.
Canada and Mexico will continue their cooperation to mutually benefit from labour market and workforce complementarities.
Pursuant to the 2007-2008 Joint Action Plan, the governments of Canada and Mexico established the Consular Rapid Response Mechanism (CRRM) in both countries. The goal of the mechanism is to strengthen communication and coordination between diplomatic and consular officials and authorities at the federal level, with the aim of ensuring the provision of timely consular services. The CRRM in Mexico was implemented in 2007, while an equivalent virtual mechanism in Canada was put in place in 2011.
Our two governments recognize the importance of helping to foster such contacts between our citizens, who are the foundation for a rich and sustainable bilateral relationship.
Projecting our Partnership Globally and Regionally
As countries sharing the same fundamental values, Canada and Mexico have a common interest in protecting and promoting those values in the international arena and to seek a safer, more democratic and more equitable world. Through the United Nations, the G-20, the Organization of American States, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, North American Leaders' summits, the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL), the Regional Conference on Migration, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and other fora, Canada and Mexico work constructively to address prosperity, democracy, human rights, good governance, security and defence priorities in the region and more broadly. The two countries will deepen this strategic collaboration, including through broad, bilateral policy planning talks, and regular hemispheric and multilateral policy consultations.
This Joint Action Plan is written with the confidence that it will catalyze further mutual benefits among close friends and strategic partners; multiply our alliances, both at the national and sub-national, public and private levels; and strengthen our existing bilateral coordination mechanisms. Together, Canada and Mexico embrace the future from the proven worth of a diplomatic relationship stretching back 70 years.
