Sponsors of the Security and Propserity Partnership

eHow
June 11, 2011

The Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP) was a trilateral dialogue among the United States, Mexico and Canada. Prime Minister Paul Martin of Canada, President Vincente Fox of Mexico and U.S. President George W. Bush founded the SPP on March 23, 2005, at a meeting in Waco, Texas. The SPP devised goals regarding cooperative initiatives like commerce, security and environmental concerns among the three nations.

Sponsors
The three countries led by Bush, Fox and Martin spearheaded the SPP. The initiative was meant to complement existing institutions like the North American Free Trade Agreement. It was not presented to Congress as a formal agreement or treaty, and never became a legislative measure. The non-binding partnership was designed to facilitate ongoing dialogue, information sharing and cooperation on key policy issues.

Goals
The SPP set forth goals to increase North American competitiveness in the global market by supporting integrated supply chains, reducing the cost of trade within the continent and strengthening intellectual property rights. The SPP also planned to secure and streamline each country's borders by reducing congestion at major border crossings, reducing unnecessary inspections and deterring smuggling of hazardous materials and weapons. The SPP planned to work toward energy security and environmental protection by strengthening energy efficiency standards, expanding clean energy technologies and improving air quality. The SPP's initiatives on food and product safety involved strengthening safety regulations. Finally, the SPP planned to develop an emergency response plan to facilitate cooperation during times of threat and crisis.

Controversy
The SPP was controversial in the United States. It faced criticism in Congress and the media, and was called “NAFTA on steroids” by critics. Some feared it was a measure to merge the United States, Canada and Mexico into something similar to the European Union, which would compromise the sovereignty of each of the countries. On April 21, 2008, nearly 30 American organizations sent an open letter to Congress urging the end of the SPP, criticizing the secrecy surrounding the dialogue and the lack of democratic oversight.

SPP Today
The SPP continued to meet in 2008 and 2009; in August 2009, it appeared to have disbanded. President Barack Obama has been critical of NAFTA in the past and it was suggested that he would not continue the partnership upon taking office; however, in February 2011, President Obama and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced a renewed security and prosperity discussion with many of the original organization's goals.

References
Congressional Research Service: SPP of North America: An Overview and Selected Issues
CNN; Lou Dobbs Tonight; June 21, 2006
Oregon Legislative Assembly; Committee Urges Congress to End U.S. Participation in SPP; 2009
Talking Union: Security and Prosperity Partnership: Open Letter to Congress
PolitiFact: Obama's Been Critical of NAFTA
Border Action Plan: Beyond the Border