Feb. 11, 2009
Obama Administration Urged to 'Seize North American Opportunities' on Security and Competitiveness
Special to Huntingtonnews.net
Washington, DC (PRNewswire) -- As President Obama prepares for his first foreign presidential trip to Canada on Feb. 19, leading experts in the U.S., Canada and Mexico are urging his administration to strengthen U.S. partnerships with its neighbors on challenges ranging from border security to global competitiveness and environmental protection.
Their recommendations were released Feb. 10 in a report entitled "North America Next: Report to President Obama on Building Sustainable Security and Competitiveness". The report, prepared by the Arizona State University's North American Center for Transborder Studies (NACTS), represents more than a year of intensive consultations by its consortium of leading experts and universities in the three countries.
"Despite the multiple crises facing the new administration," NACTS Director Rick Van Schoik said recognition of the "urgency next door" is required "because a number of significant challenges facing the United States also have created unprecedented North American opportunities for enhancing our nation's competitiveness, security and sustainability.
Almost 40 million jobs were created in the US, Canada and Mexico between 1993-2007," he noted, "and today Canada and Mexico are respectively the first- and third-ranked trading partners and foreign suppliers to the U.S. Our challenge should not be to undo NAFTA," Van Schoik added, "but to build a North American strategy for the 21st century, one that generates economic development and job creation for all three nations.
Post-9/11 border congestion has left the U.S. in many ways poorer, less secure and with major environmental challenges in the border region itself, Van Schoik said. One estimate cited a $7.2 billion annual output loss, or the equivalent of 62,000 jobs, between just two border sister cities in 2007 due to border congestion, traffic and paperwork.
In contrast, Van Schoik said "smart infrastructure investments can simultaneously enhance U.S. and North American security, competitiveness and sustainability by creating jobs, enhancing outdated infrastructure and facilitating faster and 'greener' trade."
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Obama Administration Urged to 'Seize North American Opportunities' on Security and Competitiveness
Special to Huntingtonnews.net
Washington, DC (PRNewswire) -- As President Obama prepares for his first foreign presidential trip to Canada on Feb. 19, leading experts in the U.S., Canada and Mexico are urging his administration to strengthen U.S. partnerships with its neighbors on challenges ranging from border security to global competitiveness and environmental protection.
Their recommendations were released Feb. 10 in a report entitled "North America Next: Report to President Obama on Building Sustainable Security and Competitiveness". The report, prepared by the Arizona State University's North American Center for Transborder Studies (NACTS), represents more than a year of intensive consultations by its consortium of leading experts and universities in the three countries.
"Despite the multiple crises facing the new administration," NACTS Director Rick Van Schoik said recognition of the "urgency next door" is required "because a number of significant challenges facing the United States also have created unprecedented North American opportunities for enhancing our nation's competitiveness, security and sustainability.
Almost 40 million jobs were created in the US, Canada and Mexico between 1993-2007," he noted, "and today Canada and Mexico are respectively the first- and third-ranked trading partners and foreign suppliers to the U.S. Our challenge should not be to undo NAFTA," Van Schoik added, "but to build a North American strategy for the 21st century, one that generates economic development and job creation for all three nations.
Post-9/11 border congestion has left the U.S. in many ways poorer, less secure and with major environmental challenges in the border region itself, Van Schoik said. One estimate cited a $7.2 billion annual output loss, or the equivalent of 62,000 jobs, between just two border sister cities in 2007 due to border congestion, traffic and paperwork.
In contrast, Van Schoik said "smart infrastructure investments can simultaneously enhance U.S. and North American security, competitiveness and sustainability by creating jobs, enhancing outdated infrastructure and facilitating faster and 'greener' trade."
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