The Foreign Service Journal, October 2007

tion, all three countries continued their bilateral consultations on relat- ed issues, such as water, invasive species, air pollution and toxic rain. The inevitable delay in putting new plans into action along the borders, coupled with increased media coverage of the migration phenomenon, allowed critics to argue that U.S. land borders were virtually unprotected. At the same time, increased NAFTA- induced trade among the three partners put pressure on land-border crossings to move products predictably, in order to get fresh produce to markets and meet “just in time” supply chains. Finally, existing security measures along the U.S.-Mexico bor- der succeeded in pushing migration increasingly to iso- lated desert areas along the border, posing new human- itarian, environmental and enforcement challenges. They also succeeded in forcing criminal organizations to compete for access to border areas through which, by corruption, force or guile, they are able to smuggle drugs, people and other commodities. As a result, the few secure “plazas” routinely used by organized crime organizations have become more valuable, prompting cartel wars for control of the plazas and thereby access to the lucrative U.S. drug market. To address such issues, in March 2005 the three nations’ leaders agreed to form the Security and Prosperity Partnership to catalog existing bilateral border control and security efforts, priori- tize some trilateral trade opportu- nities and provide transparency to ongoing efforts. The SPP provides a good over- view of the potential threats to each country’s security that could affect either of the partners. For example, the maritime compo- nent allows consultation on sea- based threats, trafficking routes and information-sharing. The health component allows coordi- nation on possible responses to avian flu or other pan- demics, including border protocols to prevent the spread of disease across land, sea or air borders. And the North American Energy Security Initiative acknowledges that a “secure and sustainable” energy supply is essential for the three countries’ shared pros- perity and strives to improve transparency of the mar- ket and regulatory compatibility. In addition, recognizing that terrorist attacks, natur- al disasters and other emergencies can all have an impact across borders, the three governments are work- ing to develop joint plans and protocols for incident response. The ongoing U.S. congressional debate on illegal migration reflects tension between the growing demand for foreign labor and trade and the need to reassure Americans that their land borders are secure. While there is no evidence that terrorists have crossed into the U.S. from Mexico, the proliferation of tunnels under the border, violent incidents against Border Patrol agents, and the continuing flow of illegal migrants and goods across the border all signal reason for concern. At the same time, economies on both sides of the border rely on the ports of entry as arteries for survival. Cut them off and vital organs will suffer — and possibly die. Like Siamese triplets, the U.S., Canada and Mexico have to acknowledge that fate has linked them. They may disagree about what direction to go in, but as trade ties deepen, population flows continue and interests coincide, they will inevitably have to communicate and, ideally, cooperate. The three nations are only as healthy as the borders that both bridge them and pro- tect them. F O C U S 16 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / O C T O B E R 2 0 0 7 The challenge is to expedite the flow of licit, mutually beneficial migration and trade while keeping out criminal and terrorist threats. North American Partnership Blog Is there such a thing as a North Americanist, in the same way diplomats specialize in Asia, the Middle East or Africa? Colleagues at our two missions in Canada and Mexico are engaged in a unique collaborative weblog on the intranet to explore the overlaps and overlays of U.S. interests in those countries. Border-crossing issues, export-market trends and implementation of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative are just a few of the topics treated on the blog. You can visit the North Ameri- can Partnership Blog on the intranet at: http://www. intelink.gov/communities/state/nap/.