The NAFTA text did not include labor or environmental provisions, which was a major concern
to many in Congress at the time of the agreement’s consideration. Some policy makers called for
additional provisions to address numerous concerns about labor and environmental issues,
specifically in Mexico. Other policy makers argued that the economic growth generated by the
FTA would increase Mexico’s resources available for environmental and worker rights protection.
However, congressional concerns from policy makers, as well as concerns from labor and
environmental groups, remained strong.
Shortly after he began his presidency, President Clinton addressed labor and environmental
concerns by joining his counterparts in Canada and Mexico in negotiating formal side
agreements. The NAFTA implementing legislation included provisions related to the side
agreements, authorizing U.S. participation in NAFTA labor and environmental commissions and
appropriations for these activities. The North American Agreement on Labor Cooperation
(NAALC) and the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation (NAAEC) entered
into force on January 1, 1994, the same day as NAFTA.36 NAFTA implementing legislation also
included two adjustment assistance programs, designed to ease trade-related labor problems: the
NAFTA Transitional Adjustment Assistance (NAFTA-TAA) Program and the U.S. Community
Adjustment and Investment Program (USCAIP).
The labor and environmental side agreements included language to promote cooperation on labor
and environmental matters as well as provisions to address a party’s failure to enforce its own
labor and environmental laws. Perhaps most notable were the side agreements’ dispute settlement
processes that, as a last resort, may impose monetary assessments and sanctions to address a
party’s failure to enforce its laws.37 NAFTA marked the first time that labor and environmental
provisions were associated with an FTA. For many, it represented an opportunity for cooperating
on environmental and labor matters across borders and for establishing a new type of relationship
among NAFTA partners.38
In addition to the two trilateral side agreements, the United States and Mexico entered into a
bilateral side agreement to NAFTA on border environmental cooperation.39 In this agreement, the
two governments committed to cooperate on developing environmental infrastructure projects
along the U.S.-Mexico border to address concerns about the degradation of the environment
along the U.S.-Mexico border due to increased economic activity. The agreement established two
organizations to address these concerns: the Border Environment Cooperation Commission
(BECC), located in Juárez, Mexico, and the North American Development Bank (NADBank),
located in San Antonio, Texas. The sister organizations work closely together and with other
partners at the federal, state and local level in the United States and Mexico to develop, certify,
and facilitate financing for water and wastewater treatment, municipal solid waste disposal, and
related projects on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border region. Both organizations also have
ongoing efforts to measure the results of the projects on the border region. From 1995 to 2011,
BECC certified 189 projects (86 in the United States and 103 in Mexico), representing nearly
$4.3 billion in environmental infrastructure investment, directly benefiting 14 million border
residents. NADBank has financed 152 of these projects with approximately $1.33 billion in loans
and grants.40 These projects have provided border residents with more access to drinking water,
sewer and wastewater treatment. They also include water conservation, air quality, and renewable
energy projects.41
The NAFTA text did not include labor or environmental provisions, which was a major concern
to many in Congress at the time of the agreement’s consideration. Some policy makers called for
additional provisions to address numerous concerns about labor and environmental issues,
specifically in Mexico. Other policy makers argued that the economic growth generated by the
FTA would increase Mexico’s resources available for environmental and worker rights protection.
However, congressional concerns from policy makers, as well as concerns from labor and
environmental groups, remained strong.
Shortly after he began his presidency, President Clinton addressed labor and environmental
concerns by joining his counterparts in Canada and Mexico in negotiating formal side
agreements. The NAFTA implementing legislation included provisions related to the side
agreements, authorizing U.S. participation in NAFTA labor and environmental commissions and
appropriations for these activities. The North American Agreement on Labor Cooperation
(NAALC) and the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation (NAAEC) entered
into force on January 1, 1994, the same day as NAFTA.36 NAFTA implementing legislation also
included two adjustment assistance programs, designed to ease trade-related labor problems: the
NAFTA Transitional Adjustment Assistance (NAFTA-TAA) Program and the U.S. Community
Adjustment and Investment Program (USCAIP).
The labor and environmental side agreements included language to promote cooperation on labor
and environmental matters as well as provisions to address a party’s failure to enforce its own
labor and environmental laws. Perhaps most notable were the side agreements’ dispute settlement
processes that, as a last resort, may impose monetary assessments and sanctions to address a
party’s failure to enforce its laws.37 NAFTA marked the first time that labor and environmental
provisions were associated with an FTA. For many, it represented an opportunity for cooperating
on environmental and labor matters across borders and for establishing a new type of relationship
among NAFTA partners.38
In addition to the two trilateral side agreements, the United States and Mexico entered into a
bilateral side agreement to NAFTA on border environmental cooperation.39 In this agreement, the
two governments committed to cooperate on developing environmental infrastructure projects
along the U.S.-Mexico border to address concerns about the degradation of the environment
along the U.S.-Mexico border due to increased economic activity. The agreement established two
organizations to address these concerns: the Border Environment Cooperation Commission
(BECC), located in Juárez, Mexico, and the North American Development Bank (NADBank),
located in San Antonio, Texas. The sister organizations work closely together and with other
partners at the federal, state and local level in the United States and Mexico to develop, certify,
and facilitate financing for water and wastewater treatment, municipal solid waste disposal, and
related projects on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border region. Both organizations also have
ongoing efforts to measure the results of the projects on the border region. From 1995 to 2011,
BECC certified 189 projects (86 in the United States and 103 in Mexico), representing nearly
$4.3 billion in environmental infrastructure investment, directly benefiting 14 million border
residents. NADBank has financed 152 of these projects with approximately $1.33 billion in loans
and grants.40 These projects have provided border residents with more access to drinking water,
sewer and wastewater treatment. They also include water conservation, air quality, and renewable
energy projects.41
การแปล กรุณารอสักครู่..
