Improving the Border Agency Cooperation
Among the OIC Member States for Facilitating Trade
31
tools for joining efforts and resources to achieve objectives from different agencies that work
along this border. With this, border officers can facilitate trade, share information, develop
response protocols, plan coordinated inspection operations, jointly assess potential threats,
and perform any other important tasks that the agencies deem necessary.
The American and Mexican border agencies have cooperated with each other for several
decades, while real actions moving towards further integration were developed following two
major events: (i) the signing of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in 1994
and (ii) the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001. With NAFTA, trade and people flows have increased
rapidly, but so have illicit drug trafficking and labour migration. Regarding the 9/11 event,
border security with Mexico, Canada and the rest of world became top priority on the US
Government agenda. Therefore, new efforts were required in order to facilitate trade without
compromising security.
In this scenario, many initiatives related to BAC took place, the most relevant ones being the
following three:
 21st Century Border Management : the Joint Declaration on 21st Century Border
Management between the US and Mexico was signed in 2010. Its main objectives are: (i)
enhancing economic competitiveness by expediting lawful trade, while preventing the
transit of illegal merchandise between the two countries; (ii) facilitating lawful travel in a
manner that also prevents the illegal movement of people between the two countries; (iii)
sharing information that enhances secure flows of goods and people; and (iv) disrupting
and dismantling transnational criminal organisations and penalising their members and
supporters.
 High Level Economic Dialogue (HLED): In 2013, President Barack Obama and President
Enrique Peña Nieto established the US–Mexico HLED. ‘This mechanism will focus on
strategic economic and commercial priorities central to promoting economic growth, job
creation, and competitiveness. It will reinforce and avoid duplicating existing bilateral
dialogues and will provide a flexible theme-based approach to facilitate the elevation of a
range of issues, as appropriate.’34
 The Merida Initiative ‘is an unprecedented partnership between the United Stated and
Mexico to fight organised crime and associated violence while furthering respect for
human rights and the rule of law. Based on principles of common and shared
responsibility, mutual trust, and respect for sovereign independence, the two countries’
efforts have built confidence that is transforming the bilateral relationship’.35
Single entry of trade data and single cargo inspections
The 21st Century Border Management initiative is focused on expediting the process of
migration and movement of all goods that pass through the US–Mexican border. Both
governments expect to collaborate and coordinate in the pre-screening, clearance and
inspection of people, goods and products. The objective is to intercept dangerous individuals,
goods and contraband while alleviating congestion. Furthermore, under this initiative, the
standardisation of a single entry of trade data is expected (importers and exporters only
provide information once), reducing the administrative burden and the cost of trade.
34 (accessed 5 June 2016)
35 The Merida Initiative is a partnership between the U.S. and Mexico to fight organized crime and associated violence while
furthering respect for human rights and the rule of law. An abstract of this initiative can be accessed by the following link:
www.state.gov/j/inl/merida/ (accessed 1 June 2016).)