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The North American Commission of Environmental Cooperation (NACEC) as the environmental side of NAFTA is a paradigmatic example of North-South public inclusion to achieve environmental protection in a free-trade integration project. NACEC includes as members Canada, Mexico and the United States (US). As the membership shows, NACEC represents (in a symbolic sense) the North-South divide and the asymmetries between them: two highly developed industrial countries (Canada and the US) and a third one, Mexico, still possessing many characteristics that place it within the ‘developing’ world. These asymmetries are also expressed in different capacities of their civic groups to engage in the activities of this organisation. There is a need to assess how participation of Mexican non-governmental actors (e.g. industry and environmental NGOs) has been implemented in practice after almost twelve years of NACEC’s existence. This paper engages with this analysis in cooperative initiatives under the Pollutants and Health program. ..PAT.-Conference Proceeding [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper argues that an analysis of business-government relationships is essential for understanding processes of “governance” in North America. We demonstrate the instrumental role of “big business” in Canada and Mexico during two important moments in the evolution of North American governance: first, in the negotiation of the Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (CUFTA, 1986-1988) and the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA, 1991-1992); and, second, in the processes leading up to and during the negotiation of “smart borders” following the terrorist attacks on 11 September 2001. We argue that the entering into, as well as the very CUFTA/NAFTA and “smart border” negotiations themselves, and their outcomes, are incomprehensible without a proper understanding of the private sector role. We conclude with some reflections on the implications of our analysis for thinking about the theme of this conference; namely, the North-South divide and International Studies. ..PAT.-Conference Proceeding [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]