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Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
For more information call: (202) 219-6373 ext. 4
The U.S. Department of Labor will hold a trinational conference on the
relationship among international treaties, constitutional provisions and
national labor laws in the NAFTA signatory countries -- U.S., Mexico and
Canada. The conference, open to the public and the media, was agreed to in
ministerial consultations between the U.S. and Mexico which resulted from a
review of allegations that Mexican federal workers were denied freedom of
association.
The ministerial consultations grew out of allegations submitted to the
U.S. National Administrative Office (U.S. NAO). Each of the three NAFTA
countries set up its own NAO to administer the North American Agreement on
Labor Cooperation (NAALC), known as the NAFTA labor side agreement. One of the
responsibilities of the NAO is to review labor law matters in the other
signatory countries. This particular review was prompted by a submission filed
by Human Rights Watch/Americas, the International Labor Rights Fund and the
National Association of Democratic Lawyers of Mexico.
The submitters in this case claimed that certain Mexican federal workers
were denied freedom of association when a government reorganization created the
Ministry of the Environment, Natural Resources and Fishing. Upon review of the
submission, the U.S. NAO found that important issues were raised concerning the
relationship of freedom of association provisions in the Mexican constitution
and its domestic laws and international treaties ratified by Mexico.
In its report on the review, the NAO supported its findings with
decisions of the Mexican Supreme Court and reports by the International Labor
Organization. The NAO recommended that ministerial consultations between the
U.S. and Mexico be directed at clarifying the effects of international
treaties, such as International Labor Organization (ILO) Convention 87, Mexican
constitutional provisions, and national labor laws, on the right of workers in
Mexico.
Although not a party involved in the original submission, Canada agreed
to participate in the consultations in order to broaden knowledge of the issue
and to advance the spirit of trinational cooperation.
This public forum will be held December 4, 9:00 a.m. - 3:35 p.m., at the
University of Maryland Law School, Westminster Hall, 519 W. Lafayette St.,
Baltimore, Md. Registration is free; interested persons should contact Jim Shea
or Marie Ledan in the U.S. National Administrative Office on (202) 501-6653,
fax (202) 501-6651, e-mail Jshea@dol.gov or Mledan@dol.gov. A copy of the
agenda is attached.
Seminar on International Treaties and Constitutional Systems
of the United States, Mexico and Canada
December 4, 1997
University of Maryland School of Law
Westminster Hall
519 West Fayette Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21201
AGENDA
9:00 a.m. - 9:20 a.m. Opening Remarks
Andrew J. Samet
Acting Deputy Under Secretary of Labor for International
Labor Affairs
9:20 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. Introduction of panelists and staff by NAO Secretaries
U.S.: Irasema Garza
Mexico: Rafael Aranda Vollmer
Canada: May Morpaw
9:30 a.m. - 10:15 a.m. International Treaties and Constitutional Systems
Presentation by the United States
U.S. Panelists
David P. Stewart Assistant Legal Adviser for Human
Rights and Refugees, U.S. Department of State
Benjamin Aaron Professor Emeritus, School of Law,
University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA)
Hurst Hannum Professor, Fletcher School of Law and
Diplomacy, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts
10:15 a.m.- 10:30 a.m. Recess
10:30 a.m.- 11:15 a.m. International Treaties and Constitutional Systems
Presentation by Mexico
Mexican Panelists
Javier Moctezuma Barrag n Sub Secretary "A"
Secretariat of Labor and Social Welfare of Mexico
Dr. Manuel Gonz lez Oropeza National Autonomous
University of Mexico
Lic. Loretta Ortiz Ahlf Legal Director , National Council
for Culture and the Arts
11:15 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. International Treaties and Constitutional Systems
Presentation by Canada
Canadian Panelists
Ton Zuidwijk Senior Counsel, Trade Law Division,
Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
Robert Howse Associate Professor, Faculty of Law,
University of Toronto
Sophie Dufour Professor, Faculte de Droit,
Universite de Sherbrooke
12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. Lunch
1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. Questions and Panel Discussion
2:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. Questions and Comments from
Public
3:30 p.m. - 3:35 p.m. Conference Closing
Mexico: Rafael Aranda Vollmer
Canada: May Morpaw
United States: Irasema Garza
Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
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