29th Annual Conference of New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers

           WHEREAS, the New England states and Eastern Canadian provinces share common interests with respect to the security and prosperity of the northeastern part of the continent; and

           WHEREAS, the New England states and Eastern Canadian provinces face many of the same challenges and it would be to their benefit to adopt a concerted approach in order to rise together to these challenges; and

           WHEREAS, one of the objectives of the Conference of New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers is to be a forum for strengthening multisector cooperation, including cooperation in areas related to security and economic development; and

           WHEREAS, the implementation of the Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement in 1989 and the North American Free Trade Agreement in 1994 has favoured economic growth in the New England states and Eastern Canadian provinces; and

           WHEREAS, strengthening cooperation between the states and provinces is necessary in order to enhance North America’s competitiveness and ensure the security of all citizens of Canada and the United States, particularly in the light of extensive transborder economic integration and the new security context created by the tragic events of September 11, 2001; and

           WHEREAS, the governments of Canada, the United States and Mexico announced on March 23, 2005, in Waco, Texas, the creation of the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America and the action plans to support this initiative were tabled in Ottawa on June 27, 2005; and

           WHEREAS, the Conference of New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers supports the general objective underlying the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America, i.e., to promote shared security and prosperity, based on the principle that these two areas are interdependent and complementary; and

           WHEREAS, a number of the areas and issues targeted by the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America are of concern to states and provinces and, as such, the state and provincial governments wish to be involved in the preparation of the action plans aimed at deploying the Partnership.

           NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Conference of New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers inform the governments of Canada and the United States that it supports the objective of the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America, and note to the two federal governments the importance of involving the states and provinces in the preparation of measures to support the Partnership; and

           BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT the Conference of New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers shall assign the Standing Committee on Trade Cooperation the task of preparing a draft action plan aimed at strengthening cooperation between the members of the Conference of New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers in areas targeted by the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America. The Standing Committee on Trade Cooperation shall file a preliminary report no later than December 31, 2005.

Adopted at the 29^th Annual Conference of New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers, St. John’s, NL, August 29, 2005.

Danny Williams
Premier of Newfoundland & Labrador
Co-chair

Donald L. Carcieri
Governor of Rhode Island
Co-chair