Triumvirate: a North American interparliamentary innovation.

• Author: Frechette, Christine

Eleven years have passed since Canada, Mexico and the United States adopted the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Since then, trade has increased dramatically. U.S. trade with its North American neighbours has more than doubled. Exports within the North American region, as a percentage of total exports from the three countries, jumped from 30% in 1982 to 58% in 2002. Travel among the three countries has also increased significantly, with more than 400 million people crossing the two North American borders in 2004. Despite the economic and strategic importance of the North American region to the NAFTA partners, the politicians did not find it necessary when the free trade agreement was signed to establish any mechanisms for consultation and coordination to manage NAFTA's successes and failures and guide the integration process as it developed. However, strengthening our economic and societal ties cannot be effectively managed by market forces alone. This article covers the Triumvirate event, an initiative of NAFI, a non governmental organization. This project was imagined as a potential political cooperation mechanism for NAFTA partners.

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In March 2005 at a summit in Waco, Texas, the American and Mexican presidents and the Canadian prime minister expressed interest for the first time in meeting regularly and increasing trilateral dialogue. Parliamentarians, for their part, continue to meet only occasionally through friendship groups, which never bring together representatives from the three countries at once. However, establishing a regional economic block such as NAFTA should require the constant attention of policy-makers; if only to address the many trade, security and development issues that arise.

On the initiative of the North American Forum on Integration (NAFI), universities in Canada, Mexico and the United States set a precedent by holding the first North American model parliament, called Triumvirate, in May 2005. Based in Montreal, NAFI is a non-profit organization devoted to developing dialogue among those interested in the future of North American relations and identifying strategies to reinforce the North American economic region.

Over five days, 70 students from 10 universities simulated a meeting of Canadian, American and Mexican legislators from federal and federated states. Through the Triumvirate, NAFI gave the youth the opportunity to participate, in a constructive way, in the renewed North American...