The State Department web site below is a permanent electronic archive of information released prior to January 20, 2001.  Please see www.state.gov for material released since President George W. Bush took office on that date.  This site is not updated so external links may no longer function.  Contact us with any questions about finding information. NOTE: External links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views contained therein.

Progress Achieved at the 15th U.S.-Mexico Binational Commission Meeting Fact Sheet released by the Office of Mexican Affairs, Bureau of Inter-American Affairs, June 11, 1998.

The Binational Commission's 16 working groups and subgroups addressed a broad range of issues of importance to the people of the United States and Mexico. The results of this year's meeting, listed below, demonstrate the deepening and productive dialogue the two countries have achieved in our rich, and often complex, relationship.

Transforming our Border

• We completed a report outlining the common Border Vision, laying out an agenda for cooperation in the border area on a range of issues, including sustainable economic and social development, migration and border public safety.
• We agreed to hold a U.S.-Mexico Border Infrastructure Conference early next year in Mexico. The purpose of the meeting is to stimulate private sector investment in infrastructure projects, especially in the border area.
• We signed a Memorandum of Understanding that will lead to cooperation in the identification, conservation, management, and research in cultural heritage sites and resources, especially relevant for those in the border area who are linked by common ancestry and heritage.

Preserving and Restoring a Clean Environment

• In response to the fires afflicting Mexican rain forests, we signed a Memorandum of Understanding to cooperate in the protection of the affected areas through reforestation and conservation, by building institutional capacities to limit and respond to future fires, and by supporting a Mexican national effort to reduce traditional slash and burn farming practices.
• We discussed the issue of climate change and our intention to maintain regular dialogue and cooperation on a broad range of activities. Also, new agreements on energy efficiency and renewable energy resources will lay technical foundations for cooperation in this area.
• We signed a new Joint Contingency Plan to coordinate actions of all agencies at the federal, state, and local levels in the prevention, preparedness, and response to environmentally threatening chemical spills.
• The U.S.-Mexico Border Environmental Indicators Report of 1997 will be published in English and Spanish and made available on the Internet. The report will give governments, border communities, industry, and individual citizens valuable information about progress made in improving environmental conditions along the border.
• We discussed implementation of the November 1997 Memorandum of Intent on Environmental Priorities, which made a commitment to work with the private sector to enhance pollution prevention and control through activities such as training workshops, demonstration projects, trade missions, and information sharing.
• We released a preliminary study on the impact of air quality on Big Bend National Park and agreed to work together on a more comprehensive study and strategy for improving air quality in the region.
• We discussed how best to implement the recently signed International Dolphin Conservation Agreement, a historic eight-country agreement to protect dolphins and other species in the eastern Pacific Ocean.

Making People Safe, Healthy, and Prepared for the 21st Century

• To increase public safety on the roads, we signed a Memorandum of Understanding providing for the administration of drug and alcohol tests to commercial drivers who cross the border.
• We signed a Joint Statement on Food Safety Cooperation, an important step in implementing President Clinton's initiative on Food Safety, which aims to reduce the incidence of food-borne illness and enhance the safety of all foods.
• In a joint statement, we pledged to step up immunization efforts and foster exchanges among U.S. and Mexican professionals who provide health care services to migrants and their families. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to cooperate on public health monitoring, laboratory testing, and vaccination coverage.
• We agreed to focus and coordinate efforts in education, particularly in the border area.

Eliminating the Threat of Illegal Drugs

• We consulted on progress in implementing the Bilateral Drug Strategy, a high priority for the U.S. and Mexico. We are now developing methods for measuring performance for the period from February 1998 to June 1999.
• We discussed ways to collaborate to reduce drug abuse in the U.S. and Mexico, such as adopting best practices in prevention, cooperating in research, and promoting community participation.

Tackling the Challenges of Migration

• We concluded an unprecedented Binational Report on Migration which identified the benefits and problems that migration bestows on origin and destination societies. We agreed to cooperate further in seeking solutions to this complex phenomenon.
• We discussed U.S. plans to replace the existing Border Crossing Cards with more secure and technologically advanced identification documents called "Laser Visas," which will facilitate border crossings.

[end of document]

Return to U.S.-Mexico Home Page | Return to DOSFAN Home Page.
This is an official U.S. Government source for information on the WWW. Inclusion of non-U.S. Government links does not imply endorsement of contents.