5: Citizen Submissions

Allow any person or nongovernmental organization residing or established in North America to make submissions asserting that a Party [to the NAAEC] is failing to effectively enforce its environmental law.

Other Information:

The NAAEC Articles 14 and 15 provide procedures allowing any person or nongovernmental organization residing or established in North America to make submissions to the CEC Secretariat asserting "that a Party [to the NAAEC] is failing to effectively enforce its environmental law" (the citizen submission process). Should a submission meet admissibility criteria the CEC Secretariat then decides whether to request a response to the assertions from the concerned Party. In light of both a submission and Party response, the Secretariat may recommend to Council the preparation of a factual record. Council can instruct the Secretariat to proceed with its preparation by a two-thirds vote. Through a unique non-adversarial fact finding process, the citizen submission process can contribute in important ways to furthering NAAEC objectives. The process seeks to ensure transparency, promote a better understanding and foster public discourse that contribute to enhancing compliance with and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations and policies. The CEC will continue to process citizen submissions in an objective, rigorous and transparent manner, with a view to ensuring timeliness and efficiency. Council has directed the CEC Secretariat to work on modernizing the citizen submission process to ensure its continued success.

Stakeholder(s):

• Citizens of Canada


• Citizens of Mexico


• Citizens of the United States

Objective(s):

1

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