February 10, 2011 - No. 18 - Supplement

"Shared Vision for Perimeter Security
and Economic Competitiveness Between
Canada and the United States"
Official Documents and Statements

• Press Release from Prime Minister's Office
• Statement by Prime Minister Harper 
• Declaration by Prime Minister Harper and President Obama

For Your Information

Prime Minister Harper and U.S. President Obama Announce Shared Vision for Perimeter Security
and Economic Competitiveness Between
Canada and the United States

- Press Release, Prime Minister's Office, February 4, 2011 -

Prime Minister Stephen Harper and U.S. President Barack Obama today issued a Declaration on a Shared Vision for Perimeter Security and Economic Competitiveness. The Declaration establishes a new long-term partnership that will accelerate the legitimate flows of people and goods between both countries, while strengthening security and economic competitiveness. The two leaders also announced the creation of a U.S.-Canada Regulatory Cooperation Council (RCC) and received the Second Report to Leaders on the U.S.-Canada Clean Energy Dialogue (CED).

"This Declaration demonstrates the continued commitment of Canada and the United States to ensuring our common security, while supporting economic competitiveness, job creation and prosperity within a secure environment," said the Prime Minister. "It builds on the remarkable security partnership between Canada and the United States that has helped keep our borders open to legitimate trade and travellers, and closed to criminal and terrorist elements."

The Declaration will focus on four areas of co-operation: addressing threats early; trade facilitation, economic growth and jobs; integrated cross-border law enforcement; and critical infrastructure and cyber-security.

Canada and the U.S. will develop a joint action plan on perimeter security and economic competitiveness that will set out a range of initiatives in the four key areas to improve both countries' ability to manage security risks, while facilitating the flow of people, goods and services.

A "Beyond the Border Working Group" composed of representatives from both governments will be established to implement and oversee work on the action plan.

"The Canada-U.S. partnership on security and economic competitiveness must evolve continually if we are to stay strong and address future security and commercial concerns," added the Prime Minister. "This declaration sets the stage for more effective, long-term collaboration in these areas. It also respects the sovereignty of both countries and the privacy of our citizens."

In addition to the Declaration, the two leaders also announced the creation of a United States-Canada Regulatory Cooperation Council (RCC) that will reduce red tape by making regulations in a range of sectors more compatible and less burdensome in both countries -- which is especially important for small businesses.

"The review of these rules is an exceptional opportunity to break down regulatory barriers and prevent new ones from being introduced," added the Prime Minister. "The main goal is to make it easier for Canadian and American firms to do business on both sides of our shared border, leading to more jobs and growth in both Canada and the U.S."

Increased regulatory co-operation between Canada and the U.S. is expected to generate economic opportunities on both sides of the border, while improving the ability of regulatory agencies in both countries to achieve their objectives.

Prime Minister Harper and President Obama also received the Second Report to Leaders on the Clean Energy Dialogue (CED) which lays out progress achieved in 20 joint projects in such areas as solar energy, advanced biofuels, and carbon capture and storage. The purpose of the CED, which was announced in February 2009 by the two leaders, is to enhance collaboration between Canada and the U.S. on the development of clean energy technologies aimed at reducing greenhouse gases and combating climate change.

For more information on these initiatives, please visit the Prime Minister's website www.pm.gc.ca

Statement by the Prime Minister of Canada
on the Shared Vision for Perimeter Security and Economic Competitiveness Between
Canada and the United States

- February 4, 2011 -

"Mr. President, Ladies and gentlemen,

"Today President Obama and I are issuing a declaration on our border. But, it is of course, much more than that: It is a declaration on our relationship.

"Over the past nearly 200 years, our two countries have progressively developed the closest, warmest, most integrated and most successful relationship in the world. We are partners, neighbours, allies and most of all, we are true friends.

"In an age of expanding opportunities but also of grave dangers, we share fundamental interests and values, just as we face common challenges and threats.

"At the core of this friendship is the largest bilateral trading relationship in history. And, since the signing of the Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement -- a milestone in the development of the modern era of globalization -- that partnership has grown spectacularly.

"Not only is the U.S. Canada's major export market, Canada is also America's largest export market -- larger than China, larger than Mexico, larger than Japan or all the countries of the European Union combined.

"Eight million jobs in the United States are supported by your trade with Canada. And Canada is the largest, the most secure, the most stable, and the friendliest supplier of all America's purchases: energy.

"It is in both our interests to ensure that our common border remains open and efficient. But it is just as critical that it remain secure, and in the hands of the vigilant and the dedicated.

"Just as we must continually work to ensure that inertia and bureaucratic sclerosis do not impair the legitimate flow of people, goods and services across our border, so too must we up our game to counter those seeking new ways to do us harm.

"And I say "us" because, as I have said before, a threat to the United States is a threat to Canada, to our trade, to our interests, to our values, and to our common civilization.

"Canada has no friends among America's enemies. And America has no better friend than Canada.

"The Declaration President Obama and I are issuing today commits our governments to find new ways to exclude terrorists and criminals who pose a threat to our peoples. It also commits us to finding ways to eliminate regulatory barriers to cross-border trade and travel, because simpler rules lead to lower costs for businesses and consumers, and ultimately to more jobs.

"Shared information, joint planning, compatible procedures and inspection technology will all be key tools.

"They make possible the effective risk management that will allow us to accelerate legitimate flows of people and goods between our countries, while strengthening our physical security and economic competitiveness.

"So we commit to expanding our management of the border to the concept of a North American perimeter, not to replace or eliminate the border, but where possible to streamline and decongest it.

"There is much work to do. The Declaration marks the start of this endeavour, not the end -- an ambitious agenda between two countries, sovereign and able to act independently, when we so choose, according to our laws and aspirations.

"But always understanding this: that while a border defines two peoples, it need not divide them. That is the fundamental truth to which Canadians and Americans have borne witness for almost two centuries, and through our mutual devotion to freedom, democracy and justice, at home and abroad, it is the example we seek to demonstrate for all others."

Beyond the Border: A Shared Vision for Perimeter Security and Economic Competitiveness

- Declaration by the Prime Minister of Canada and the President of the United States of America, February 4, 2011 -

Canada and the United States are staunch allies, vital economic partners, and steadfast friends. We share common values, deep links among our citizens, and deeply rooted ties. The extensive mobility of people, goods, capital, and information between our two countries has helped ensure that our societies remain open, democratic, and prosperous.

To preserve and extend the benefits our close relationship has helped bring to Canadians and Americans alike, we intend to pursue a perimeter approach to security, working together within, at, and away from the borders of our two countries to enhance our security and accelerate the legitimate flow of people, goods, and services between our two countries. We intend to do so in partnership, and in ways that support economic competitiveness, job creation, and prosperity.

We have advanced our prosperity through the Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement and the North American Free Trade Agreement. Over $250 billion of direct investment by each country in the other, and bilateral trade of more than half-a-trillion dollars a year in goods and services create and sustain millions of jobs in both our countries. At the Canada-U.S. border, nearly one million dollars in goods and services cross every minute, as well as 300,000 people every day, who cross for business, pleasure, or to maintain family ties.

Canada and the United States share a long history of cooperation in defending our values and freedoms. We stand together to confront threats to our collective security as partners in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. We work shoulder-to-shoulder in the defence of both our nations through the North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD).

We share responsibility for the safety, security, and resilience of Canada and of the United States in an increasingly integrated and globalized world. We intend to address security threats at the earliest point possible in a manner that respects privacy, civil liberties, and human rights.

I. Principles

We intend to work together in cooperation and partnership to develop, implement, manage, and monitor security initiatives, standards, and practices to fulfill our vision. We recognize that our efforts should accelerate job creation and economic growth through trade facilitation at our borders and contribute directly to the economic security and well-being of both Canada and the United States.

We intend to strengthen our resilience -- our ability to mitigate, respond to, and recover from disruptions. Success depends on readiness at all levels of our governments, within our communities, and among private sector owners and operators of our infrastructure, systems, and networks. We rely on secure communications and transportation networks, including our civil aviation system, and we intend to work together to make them resilient enough to continue operating in the face of a natural disaster or attack.

We expect to use a risk management approach where compatible, interoperable, and -- where possible -- joint measures and technology should proportionately and effectively address the threats we share. Effective risk management should enable us to accelerate legitimate flows of people and goods into Canada and the United States and across our common border, while enhancing the physical security and economic competitiveness of our countries.

We build on the efforts of many partners -- from police and other emergency workers to our armed forces -- who continue to safeguard us from the complex threats we face.

We also recognize that cooperation across air, land, and maritime domains, as well as in space and cyberspace, our enduring bi-national defence relationship, and military support for civilian authorities engaged in disaster response efforts and critical infrastructure protection, have all contributed significantly to the security of our populations.

We recognize that greater sharing of information will strengthen our ability to achieve the goals of this vision.

We intend to work together to engage with all levels of government and with communities, non-governmental organizations, and the private sector, as well as with our citizens, on innovative approaches to security and competitiveness.

We value and respect our separate constitutional and legal frameworks that protect privacy, civil liberties, and human rights and provide for appropriate recourse and redress.

We recognize the sovereign right of each country to act independently in its own interest and in accordance with its laws.

We expect to work together with third countries and with international organizations, and intend to facilitate security sector reform and capacity building around the globe, to enhance standards that contribute to our overall security.

Key Areas of Cooperation

Addressing Threats Early

Collaborating to address threats before they reach our shores, we expect to develop a common understanding of the threat environment through improved intelligence and information sharing, as well as joint threat assessments to support informed risk management decisions.

We intend to develop an integrated strategy that would enable us to meet the threats and hazards that both our nations face, including natural disasters and man-made threats, including terrorism.

We expect to continue strengthening our health security partnership, through existing mechanisms for cooperation on health emergencies, and by further enhancing our collective preparedness and response capacity to a range of health security threats, including influenza pandemics.

We intend to work together to uncover and disrupt threats that endanger the security of both Canada and the United States and to establish those agreements or policies necessary to ensure timely sharing of information for combined efforts to counter the threats. We intend to ensure we have the ability to support one another as we prepare for, withstand, and rapidly recover from disruptions. We intend to make the Agreement Between the Government of Canada and the Government of the United States of America on Emergency Management Cooperation, updated in 2008, a cornerstone of these efforts.

To increase security, counter fraud, and improve efficiency, we intend to work together to establish and verify the identities of travellers and conduct screening at the earliest possible opportunity. We intend to work toward common technical standards for the collection, transmission, and matching of biometrics that enable the sharing of information on travellers in real time. This collaboration should facilitate combined Canadian and United States screening efforts and strengthen methods of threat notification.

In order to promote mobility between our two countries, we expect to work towards an integrated Canada-United States entry-exit system, including work towards the exchange of relevant entry information in the land environment so that documented entry into one country serves to verify exit from the other country.

We intend to cooperate to identify, prevent, and counter violent extremism in our two countries. By working cooperatively on research, sharing best practices, and emphasizing community-based and community-driven efforts, we will have a better understanding of this threat and an increased ability to address it effectively.

We intend to formulate jointly Canada-United States privacy protection principles that should inform and guide our work in relation to facilities, operations, programs, and other initiatives contemplated by this Declaration.

We intend to work together to promote the principles of human rights, privacy, and civil liberties as essential to the rule of law and effective management of our perimeter.

Trade Facilitation, Economic Growth, and Jobs

We intend to pursue creative and effective solutions to manage the flow of traffic between Canada and the United States. We will focus investment in modern infrastructure and technology at our busiest land ports of entry, which are essential to our economic well-being.

We will strive to ensure that our border crossings have the capacity to support the volume of commercial and passenger traffic inherent to economic growth and job creation on both sides of the border.

To enhance our risk management practices, we intend to continue planning together, organizing bi-national port of entry committees to coordinate planning and funding, building, expanding or modernizing shared border management facilities and border infrastructure where appropriate, and using information technology solutions.

We intend to look for opportunities to integrate our efforts and where practicable, to work together to develop joint facilities and programs -- within and beyond Canada and the United States -- to increase efficiency and effectiveness for both security and trade.

We aim to build on the success of current joint programs by expanding trusted traveller and trader programs, harmonizing existing programs, and automating processes at the land border to increase efficiency.

We will look for ways to reduce the cost of conducting legitimate business across the border by implementing, where practicable, common practices and streamlined procedures for customs processing and regulatory compliance.

We intend to work towards developing an integrated cargo security strategy that ensures compatible screening methods for goods and cargo before they depart foreign ports bound for Canada or the United States, so that once they enter the territory of either we can, together, accelerate subsequent crossings at land ports of entry between our two countries.

We recognize the importance of the Canada-U.S. Framework for the movement of Goods and People across the Border During and Following an Emergency, agreed to in 2009. It underscores the importance of coordinated, cooperative, and timely border management decision making to mitigate the impacts of disruptions on our citizens and economies.

Integrated Cross-border Law Enforcement

We intend to build on existing bilateral law enforcement programs to develop the next generation of integrated cross-border law enforcement operations that leverage cross-designated officers and resources to jointly identify, assess, and interdict persons and organizations involved in transnational crime.

We intend to seek further opportunities to pursue national security and transnational crime investigations together to maximize our ability to tackle the serious security threats that these organizations and individuals present.

We intend to improve the sharing among our law enforcement agencies of relevant information to better identify serious offenders and violent criminals on both sides of the border.

Critical Infrastructure and Cybersecurity

We intend to work together to prevent, respond to, and recover from physical and cyber disruptions of critical infrastructure and to implement a comprehensive cross-border approach to strengthen the resilience of our critical and cyber infrastructure with strong cross-border engagement.

Canada and the United States benefit from shared critical and cyber infrastructure. Our countries intend to strengthen cybersecurity to protect vital government and critical digital infrastructure of national importance, and to make cyberspace safer for all our citizens.

We intend to work together to defend and protect our use of air, land, sea, space, and cyberspace, and enhance the security of our integrated transportation and communications networks.

II. Implementation and Oversight

Canada and the United States intend to establish a Beyond the Border Working Group (BBWG) composed of representatives from the appropriate departments and offices of our respective federal governments.

Responsibility for ensuring inter-agency coordination will rest with the Prime Minister and the President and their respective officials.

We intend for the BBWG to report to their respective Leaders in the coming months, and after a period of consultation, with a joint Plan of Action to realize the goals of this declaration, that would, where appropriate, rely upon existing bilateral border-related groups, for implementation.

The BBWG will report on the implementation of this declaration to Leaders on an annual basis. The mandate of the BBWG will be reviewed after three years.

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