| August 23, 2000
Mr. Vicente Fox President-elect Republic of Mexico
Mister President,
Common Frontiers-Canada is a broad coalition of Canadian labour, environmental, human rights, international development and social organizations working on issues of free trade and hemispheric economic integration. Common Frontiers was formed in 1987 when Mexican participation in NAFTA came onto the negotiating table. Common Frontiers members are currently monitoring the FTAA process, working in close collaboration with other national action networks on free trade such as the Mexican Action Network on Free Trade (RMALC) in Mexico, the Alliance for ResponsibleTrade (ART) in the USA, Alliance Chile for Just and Sustainable Trade in Chile and the Brazilian Network for a People’s Integration (REBRIP) in Brazil. Members of Common Frontiers are also active in the Mexico Working Group (MWG). This Canadian based group was formed out of a concern for democracy and social justice in Mexico; it supports community initiatives, advocates for human rights and promotes the building of links with Mexican counterparts. Our> history of collaboration with Mexican civil society began some 20 years ago during the Central American refugee crisis of the 80’s. It expanded dramatically during the period of negotiations surrounding the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) as popular organizations from both countries began working together to incorporate social, labour and environmental concerns into the debate on hemispheric integration. These > relationships are intensifying even more with the opening of negotiations for a 34 country Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) and the commitment towards building a Hemispheric Social Alliance (HSA) which would give a voice to civil society within the FTAA process. They are based on the recognition that Canadian and Mexican societies face similar challenges which cannot be resolved wholly on a national basis, but on the elaboration of strategic and concrete forms of cooperation Members of Common Frontiers and the Mexico Working Group would like to take the opportunity of your first official visit to Canada to congratulate you on your recent election as President of Mexico. We would also like to compliment you, and members of your party, for the will and efforts you have demonstrated during the electoral campaign to engage NGOs, both in Mexico and internationally. This represents a major shift of attitude from that of previous governments. In your campaign and with your victory you emphasized that your administration will be pluralistic and inclusive. We hope that this commitment will be embodied in making the processes and style of your administration open, transparent and in active interaction with civil society organizations. We also hope that the recognition of the positive role of diverse civil society organizations will be embodied in enhanced legislation. We urge you to extend this attitude to international fora such as the UN, the OAS and the FTAA process where, until now, Mexico has been unwilling to recognize the role and participation of civil society organizations. We also welcome the steps you have taken immediately following your election to renew the dialogue with a view to achieving a peaceful and early solution to the Chiapas conflict on the basis of the San Andres Accords on Indigenous Rights and Culture, and your commitment to demilitarize the area. We hope this is an indication of broader measures to be undertaken to put an end to the violations of human rights and militarization, not only in Chiapas, but in other parts of Mexico as well. We have noted with interest your statements about wishing for an expansion of NAFTA which would include free movement of labour within the US, Canada and Mexico. Surely the precondition for making such an expansion viable is the assurance of equitable rights and conditions for labour within each of the three countries. We have been greatly concerned over the years by the difficulties encountered by Mexican workers in carrying out their right to organize freely into trade unions. We deplore the laxity with which labour law in Mexico has been implemented under past administrations and the ineffectiveness of the North American Agreement of Labour Cooperation (NAALC) to remedy documented abuses which have taken place. Recent events in Tijuana and Matamoros indicate that complaints filed under the NAALC may no longer be merely futile. They may now endanger workers’ physical safety. We seriously question maquiladoras as a development or employment creation strategy. We would hope that your administration would tackle all of these questions with a sense of real urgency. We also have concerns that the process of continental economic integration under NAFTA has worsened prospects for achieving sustainable development, with increased pollution, unsustainable exploitation of natural resources and exaggerated rights for foreign investors. As we monitor the negotiations for the Free Trade Area of the Americas, we see a repetition of these problems in proposed texts. We hope that your government will be open to a thorough examination of the problems inherent in NAFTA and a re-consideration of the direction of the FTAA. We in Common Frontiers-Canada, together with colleagues from the hemisphere, including la Red Mexicana de Accion frente al Libre Comercio (RMALC), have been working on a comprehensive set of Alternatives for the Americas since the last Summit of the Americas in Santiago de Chile in 1998. We are currently updating our document for presentation to you, to Prime Minister Chrétien and to the other leaders at your April 2001 Summit meeting in Quebec City. With regard to the electoral process, the 2000 elections represented a significant step forward on the road to democratization. However, on the basis of our observations in the last three elections in Mexico, we believe that, to ensure truly fair elections, further electoral reforms must be enacted that would grant greater power of investigation and independence from the executive to the Special Prosecutor for Electoral Crimes, the Federal Electoral tribunal and IFE. (Attached are copies of the reports of our two recent delegations to the 2000 elections, with recommendations, as well as the Mexico-Canada roundtable report). But democracy cannot be reduced merely to elections. Much remains to be done to ensure the strengthening of democratic institutions and the deepening of a democratic culture. This includes putting an end to corruption, granting more independence to the judiciary, improving systems of public accountability and addressing economic inequities. Considerable progress needs to be achieved on a range of human rights issues: Mexico’s compliance with its international commitments; protection for human rights workers; ending the widespread use of torture in criminal investigations; bringing an end to impunity; strengthening of guarantees of freedom of association, notably in the labour sector; and guaranteeing freedom of expression and access to media. Demilitarization also continues to be an issue of great concern in relationship to human rights. Underlying most of these issues and intertwined with the achievement of democracy is the urgent need to alleviate Mexico’s extreme economic inequities by addressing issues of economic insecurity, social exclusion, systemic poverty and social development, especially in rural areas. Poverty is one of the greatest source of violence and corruption in Mexico. Changing the economic structures and reviewing policies, including hemispheric agreements, that have led to this social and economic reality represent perhaps the biggest challenge of your administration. With your election, the members of Common Frontiers see possibilities for changes in the rules of the game driven by the same party for 71 years. It will be the role and responsibility of your administration and of Mexican civil society to bring about these changes towards more participatory democracy. But, as members of a caring global community, we feel a responsibility to continue to accompany our counterparts in this process. Together with them, we are looking forward to the possibilities of collaborating with your government to ensure that the present opportunity not be lost.
Sincerely, Patricia C. Barrera, Coordinator
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