Ottawa, Canada, May 30, 2014
The Ambassador of Mexico to Canada, Francisco Suárez Dávila, led a delegation on a high-level visit to Winnipeg, Manitoba, from May 28-30. He met with the Lieutenant Governor, Philip Lee, as well as the Premier of Manitoba Greg Selinger, with whom an agreement was reached to deepen Mexico’s relationship with the Province, an objective reflected in the Mexican government’s decision to open a consular agency in the province’s capital.
The visit included a working meeting with the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, Ron Kostyshyn, to explore opportunities for agricultural cooperation, such as the exchange of best practices among producers and cooperation to develop corn varieties. The Ambassador also met with the Minister of Labour and the Economy, Theresa Oswald, at which time the officials underscored the success of the Mexico-Canada Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program, and discussed perspectives on boosting labour mobility with the province.
A working session was held with the province’s most important business leaders, presidents of the Winnipeg and Manitoba Chambers of Commerce, and the province’s Business Council, to present to them trade opportunities with Mexico in the agricultural, services, energy, infrastructure and manufacturing sectors. For the same purpose, the Ambassador visited the facilities of the companies Palister Furniture, MacDon Industries and Centerport Canada, the only tri-modal inland port (air, rail and road), and met with their respective presidents.
In the aim of increasing academic cooperation and exchange between Mexico and Manitoba, a meeting was held with the President of the University of Manitoba, David Barnard, in which the Ambassador proposed the establishment of a Mexico Chair, to enable the exchange of specialized speakers on topics of interest; the Ambassador also visited the university’s Richardson Centre for Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals.
Ambassador Suárez met with leading professionals from the Mexican community and Manitoba’s Mex Y Can cultural association, and presented an award to Jaime Vargas Vargas in recognition of his career as the principal dancer of the prestigious Royal Winnipeg Ballet.
During the visit to Winnipeg, the Ambassador was accompanied by the Consul General of Mexico in Toronto, representatives of Mexico’s Ministries of the Economy and of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food in Canada; delegates from ProMéxico and the Mexico Tourism Board, as well as the Honorary Consul of Mexico in Winnipeg.
Mexico is Manitoba’s third largest source of imports and fourth export destination, in addition to being its second tourist destination. With the opening of the consular agency in Winnipeg, there will be a total of six Mexican consulates in Canada, in addition to the Embassy in Ottawa, which consolidates Canada as the country with the largest number of Mexican Representations after the United States.
Press Release No. 089/14 | Querétaro, Querétaro, May 27, 2014
• Guerra Abud inaugurates Trilateral Meeting and calls upon partners to strengthen public policies to protect biodiversity.
• The High-Level Working Group on the Monarch Butterfly will meet to implement actions to conserve the species’ migratory phenomenon.
Upon inaugurating the "19th Annual Meeting of the Canada-Mexico-US Trilateral Committee for Wildlife and Ecosystem Conservation and Management", Mexican Secretary of the Environment and Natural Resources, Juan José Guerra Abud, stressed the importance of strengthening continental efforts to conserve and manage wildlife and ecosystems.
As he welcomed the environmental authorities of Canada and the United States, led by Sheldon Jordan and Bryan Arroyo, respectively, he emphasized the need to improve public policies to protect the region’s biodiversity, which has been adversely affected by climate change.
In addition to the work of the Trilateral Committee, the “High-Level Working Group on the Monarch Butterfly” will also meet, involving the following participants: on behalf of Canada, representatives of the Canadian Wildlife Service; for the United States, personnel from the Department of the Interior and its Geology Agency; and for Mexico, officials from the National Commission for Protected Natural Areas (CONANP), the Federal Law Office for Environmental Protection (PROFEPA), the National Forestry Commission (CONAFOR) and SEMARNAT through the Coordinating Unit for International Affairs (UCAI) and the Wildlife Department (DGVS).
In this regard, Secretary Guerra Abud said that participants were expecting concrete results and agreements that would enable strengthening and, where appropriate, implementing actions to conserve migration of the Monarch Butterfly.
The Governor of Querétaro, José Calzada Rovirosa, noted that 33 percent of his territory comprises Natural Areas, so he prioritizes the issue of conservation to ensure the quality of life of future generations.
The Trilateral Committee meets annually to address various issues of great importance in conservation and sustainable use of resources, implementation of recovery plans for species such as the Mexican wolf, California condor and the Northern bobwhite, in addition to the preservation of marine and terrestrial ecosystems and specific topics in law enforcement cooperation.
Important activities will include the signing of a Letter of Intent on collaboration between the U.S., Canada and Mexico, for the eradication of invasive species on islands of North America.
The work of the "19th Annual Meeting of the Canada-Mexico-US Trilateral Committee for Wildlife and Ecosystem Conservation and Management" will take place on May 27-28 in the city of Querétaro, Querétaro.
Distinguished attendees of the opening ceremony included Luis Fueyo MacDonald, Head of CONANP; Guillermo Haro Bélchez, Head of PROFEPA; Rafael Pacchiano Alamán, Undersecretary for Environmental Management at SEMARNAT; Gloria Tavera Alonso, Director of the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve; Jorge Maksabedian de la Roquette, Director General of Wildlife, and Roberto Loyola Vera, Mayor of Querétaro.
PRESS RELEASE No. 264
20/May/2014
- Top health officials from Mexico, the United States and Canada sign Declaration of Intent to Coordinate Communication in Public Health Emergencies.
Mexico’s Secretary of Health Mercedes Juan, U.S. Health and Human Services (HSS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, and Canada’s Minister of Health Rona Ambrose signed a Declaration of Intent today, to Coordinate Communication in Public Health Emergencies.
Through the Declaration, the three nations formally adopt a series of principles and technical guidelines to be followed in order to share public health information and communication products of mutual interest during health emergencies.
The top health officials highlighted these efforts at a trilateral meeting that took place during the 67th World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland.
Mexican Secretary of Health Mercedes Juan indicated that the collaboration between the three North American countries has proved to be an extraordinary contribution to strengthening the security of health in the region.
The clear, transparent and timely exchange of information has been, and will remain, a central pillar of this cooperation, particularly for responding to public health emergencies, noted Secretary Juan.
“The United States, Canada and Mexico have had a long and close relationship in supporting and improving our collective ability to respond to public health events and emergencies of mutual interest when they arise,” Secretary Sebelius said.
This declaration, she added, reinforces our joint efforts to strengthen our respective national capabilities to communicate risks, a mandatory fundamental capability for countries that belong to the International Health Regulations.
“Infectious diseases are not limited by countries’ borders, and neither are the ways through which we receive the news,” said Minister Ambrose.
In this regard, specified Minister Ambrose, “this Declaration will help our countries work together on the essential task of communicating more effectively on public health issues, which will protect the health of all of our citizens”.
The Declaration of Intent calls on the three countries to:
- Share public communications plans, statements and other communications products related to health emergencies prior to their public release;
- Apprise other appropriate authorities, depending on the type of health emergency, within their respective governments when the declaration is invoked;
- Conduct an annual short communications exercise to improve joint coordination; and
- Hold recurrent meetings, as they may mutually determine, to review and propose amendments to the Declaration of Intent.
The formal signing of the Declaration of Intent today not only supports the requirements of the International Health Regulations, which calls for neighboring countries to develop accords and work together on shared public health issues, but also the principles of the 2012 North American Plan for Animal and Pandemic Influenza (NAPAPI).
The NAPAPI builds upon the experiences of the H1N1 influenza pandemic and outlines how the three countries intend to strengthen and coordinate their emergency response capacities, including public communications, in anticipation of a pandemic virus originating in or spreading to the North American continent.
Mexico City, May 21, 2014
• During a bilateral meeting, the head of SAGARPA, Enrique Martinez y Martinez, and the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Gerry Ritz, agreed upon concrete actions to enable the exchange of agri-food products that at certain times, due to climate or seasonal issues, are scarce in the other country; the aim is to streamline the supply of agri-food products for the benefit of both nations.
• They also agreed to advance the creation of a Binational Project to facilitate capitalizing on complementarities between Mexico and Canada in the areas of productive processes and best practices, with the application of research and development to improve food production.
• Minister Ritz emphasized that to match the power that Asia has achieved in food production, the countries of North America must work together as a bloc.
During a bilateral meeting held today, Mexico and Canada agreed to take concrete actions to exploit the great potential in production complementarity between the two countries.
These actions will enable the exchange of agri-food products that at certain times, due to weather or seasonal issues, are scarce in the other country; the purpose is to streamline the supply of agri-food products for the benefit of both nations.
These actions will also facilitate the creation of a Binational Project that would make it possible to capitalize on complementarities between Mexico and Canada in the areas of production processes and best practices, with the application of research and development to improve food production.
The Secretary of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food, Enrique Martínez y Martínez, and his counterpart in Canada, Gerry Ritz, noted that this type of commitment is essential to meet the food production requirements established by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) by the year 2050.
They stated that this implies a major challenge and, to meet it, we must learn to work as a region, integrating a program of settlement and training so that producers learn to apply science, technology and mechanization in the field.
In this way, they affirmed, North America can be a more competitive, more productive region.
Minister Ritz stressed that the only way to match the power that Asia has achieved in food production is for Mexico, the United States and Canada to work together as the North American bloc.
He said that in terms of food production there are many challenges, some of which cannot be controlled, like the weather; as such, he said, it is important to work on those things that can be managed, and for that we need to harmonize laws and scientific criteria.
He thanked his Mexican counterpart for the hospitality offered in inviting him to participate in the Fifth Assembly of the National Confederation of Livestock Organizations (CNOG)–inaugurated this past Monday in Zacatecas– an event during which he learned of the Mexican livestock sector’s programs and growing success.
To date Canada has recognized nine Mexican states as being free of Classical Swine Fever. In this regard, Minister Ritz said a task force will be integrated to expedite the recognition of other states, in order to expand the marketing of Mexican pork in Canada.
During the meeting, emphasis was placed on the successful work carried out by the tri-national technical group on pesticides, through which permits are also issued for beneficial products and in regard to Maximum Residue Limits, in accordance with the criteria established by the Codex Alimentarius
The delegations of the two countries agreed to continue working together to defend the decision of the World Trade Organization (WTO) on meat labelling, since measures such as the Law on Country of Origin Labelling (COOL), imposed by the U.S. government, hamper international trade among nations.
The Mexican delegation included Agriculture Undersecretary Jesús Aguilar Padilla; the chief director of the National Service for Food Health, Safety and Quality (SENASICA), Enrique Sánchez Cruz; the Coordinators General of International Affairs, Raúl Urteaga Trani, and Strategic Planning, René Villarreal Arrambide, and the Commissioner of Evidence and Risk Management from the Federal Commission for Protection Against Health Risks (COFEPRIS), Rocío Alatorre Eden-Wynter
On behalf of the Canadian government, participants included the Canadian Ambassador to Mexico, Sara Hradecky; Director of Communications, Jeffrey English; Policy Advisor, Karla Barnes; Agri-food Counsellor of Canada in Mexico, Kim O'Neil; and Technical Advisor from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), Francis Lindsay.
Mexico City, May 19, 2014
- Participants in the 2014 Global Forum on Agro Food Expectations included the head of SAGARPA, Enrique Martínez y Martínez, Canadian Minister of Agriculture Gerry Ritz and US Secretary of Agriculture Thomas Vilsack.
- he officials agreed to eliminate barriers, harmonize health and safety protocols and optimize logistics infrastructure at borders to expedite the trade process in a market of roughly one billion dollars per day.
- It is important to work as an integrated bloc to be more sustainably productive, so actions must be defined in order to break down some of the barriers and streamline processes in trade flows and exchange: Thomas Vilsack
- Trade in agri-food products is a central axis in the economic development of the three countries, so this meeting is important in order to have a constructive dialogue and define global strategies: Gerry Ritz
Eliminating bureaucratic barriers, harmonizing health and safety protocols and optimizing logistics infrastructure at borders to expedite the trade process in a market of about one billion dollars a day, are some of the strategic issues to be developed and rekindled between Mexico, Canada and the U.S.
This was made evident by the participation of the Ministers of Agriculture of Mexico, Enrique Martínez y Martínez; Canada, Gerry Ritz, and the United States, Thomas Vilsack, in the panel entitled "Integration of agro-industrial markets in North America: Challenges and Opportunities", within the First Global Forum on Agro Food Expectations.
In the context of the 20th anniversary of the signing of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the ministers of this trading bloc agreed on the importance of strengthening scientific and technological cooperation as key elements to meet the challenge of producing more food in a framework of sustainability of natural resources.
During the panel, which was moderated by the President of IQOM Inteligencia Comercial, Herminio Blanco Mendoza, Secretary Martinez y Martinez stated that conditions are ripe for an open dialogue to strengthen alliances between the three partners to become more productive and competitive in a globalized market.
He noted that progress is being made in streamlining procedures, improving agri-food trade logistics and strengthening health and safety systems as well as in the exchange of knowledge and technological innovation to seize the opportunity presented by new markets in the European Union and the Trans-Pacific Partnership, in Asian countries
He highlighted the Government of Mexico’s new vision and the work being carried out with the participation of all stakeholders in the field to foster structural reform that will bolster production and productivity, with an approach based more on the country's strengths, such as horticulture and livestock production.
He urged the ministers of Canada and the United States to assess the convenience of working in productive seasonal cycles by region –that is, productive management that takes into account climates at the continental level–, in order to capitalize on agri-food production and trade and create new market niches.
The Secretary of the United States Department of Agriculture, Thomas Vilsack, noted the importance of working as an integrated bloc in order to be more sustainably productive.
He spoke in favour of defining actions that lead to breaking down certain barriers, adapting rules and streamlining processes and trade flows, since this sector is a generator of jobs, foreign revenue and development.
He stressed that to meet the challenges of climate change and its effects on agriculture, reduced handling of chemicals and dwindling natural resources, we must turn to science to improve food production, safely, and make biotechnology a tool that helps face the challenge of feeding over nine billion people in the coming years.
In turn, the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-food Canada, Gerry Ritz, said that trade in agri-food products is a central axis in the economic development of the three countries, so this meeting is important in order to have a constructive dialogue and define global strategies
He explained that on the issue of genetically modified organisms, Canada is working closely with international institutions to leverage biotechnology resources in the production of enhanced seeds that are resistant to the scourge of climate change and infestations.
Both officials recognized the importance of establishing agreements on labour migration issues, as this accounts for a significant flow of workers in the agricultural sector, both in terms of harvests as well as in the operation of production systems.