Jun 6, 2006- Groups of the North American Region Call for End and Replacement of NAFTA

"We must reshape trade agreements in NorthAmerica to ensure rising standards of living for ourpeoples," said Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur.

The groups met in Ottawaon June 5, 2006, to extend the work of the first North American Forum held in Washingtonin May 2005. This second forum brought progressive legislators togetherwith representatives from civil society networks Red Mexican de Acciónfrente al Libre Comercio (RMALC) of Mexico, Canadian organization CommonFrontiers, le Réseau Québécois sur l'intégration continentale (RQIC), and theAlliance for Responsible Trade (ART) from the United States.

"NAFTA has aggravated poverty across the continent," says Pierre-YvesSerinet of RQIC.

According to NDP Trade Critic, Peter Julian, "there is no doubt that underNAFTA most Canadians are poorer. We have been fighting to make adjustments andnow it is clear that NAFTA has to be replaced. It is not working for the vastmajority of inhabitants of NorthAmerica. It has failed on the bottom line."

In anticipation of the March 2007 "Three Amigos Summit" that will be held inOttawa, the new group will create a North American secretariat andintroduce simultaneous legislation in Mexico, the U.S and Canada to replaceNAFTA. It will build opportunities for public engagement on the issue ofcontinental integration.

Rosario Quispes of RMALQ describes the Security and Prosperity Partnership,as "a distorted, more dangerous version of NAFTA."

"We need to work together to stop the Security Prosperity Partnershipbecause the negotiations have been anti-democratic, without transparency andpromise to benefit only the business elite of the region," says Victor Suarez,Member of the Mexican Parliament (Partido de la Revolución Democratica,D.F.).

Civil society groups applaud participating parliamentarians for involvingthe public - Something the governments of the three states have failed todo. "We want to work with civil society to develop another model ofintegration that will ensure prosperity for all, says Bloc Québécois MP, PierrePaquette."