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Canada-Chile Commission for Environmental Cooperation
Council Communiqué from its Sixth Session
Ottawa, Canada, 16 November, 2005 – We, the Council of the Canada-Chile
Commission for Environmental Cooperation, have met for our Sixth regular Session
on 16 November, 2005 in Ottawa.
This session takes place eight years after our two countries signed the Canada-Chile
Environmental Cooperation Agreement in parallel to our bilateral free trade
agreement. During that time we have not only witnessed increasing economic
ties between our two countries, but we have also developed stronger ties in
the area of environment. Together we have created a strong foundation for environmental
cooperation and demonstrated that trade and environmental issues can be addressed
in a positive manner, free of disputes.
Given the importance of ensuring that environmental concerns are appropriately
addressed in efforts to promote trade liberalization, we agree to work together
to continue supporting a dialogue on trade and environment issues. Furthermore,
we offer the Chile-Canada approach as an example of a positive and mutually
beneficial arrangement to address environmental concerns.
During the session we approved the review of activities under the Agreement
as set out in the 2005 Report of the Canada-Chile Commission for Environmental
Cooperation; as well as activities to be carried out over the next two years
as set out in the Fifth Work Program of the Canada-Chile Commission for
Environmental Cooperation (2005-2007). We ask that the National Secretariats make these two
documents available to the public on the Commission’s website as soon
as possible.
We appreciate the work of the Joint Public Advisory Committee (JPAC) and encourage
National Secretariats to continue their support and assistance to this body.
We also appreciate the input we received from the public. We are grateful
to those who provided the Commission with their views on how the implementation
of this agreement could be improved.
We agree to meet again at the Seventh Regular Session of the Canada-Chile
Commission for Environmental Cooperation to be held in Chile in 2006.
The Canada-Chile Agreement on Environmental Cooperation (CCAEC) entered into
force in July 1997 following the signing of the Canada-Chile Free Trade Agreement.
It is designed to promote environmental cooperation and enforcement of environmental
laws in both Canada and Chile. The CCAEC commits the Parties to high environmental
standards; effective enforcement of environmental laws; open, transparent,
equitable and accountable processes for developing environmental laws and policies;
and environmental cooperation activities to help ensure these commitments can
be kept. In addition to the Council, the Canada-Chile Commission for Environmental
Cooperation includes a Joint Public Advisory Committee (JPAC) (three members
from each country) and a Joint Submission Committee (JSC) (one member from
each country). The Commission is assisted by two National Secretariats, housed
in the environment ministries of each Party.
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