Secretary of State Antony Blinken said signing the declaration on the North American Partnership for Equity and Racial Justice with Mexico and Canada reflects a shared commitment on those issues.
Blinken, Mexican Foreign Secretary Marcelo Ebrard and Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly signed the agreement Jan. 9, according to a State Department news release.
“I launched the North American Leaders Summit together with @m_ebrard and @melaniejoly by signing the declaration on the North American Partnership for Equity and Racial Justice, which reflects our shared commitment to advance these issues within our countries,” Blinken said in a post on Twitter.
He said leaders of people from diverse histories and cultures have fought to build democracies where they share the equal promise of freedom and inclusion, according to the release. Diversity is shown as the greatest strength of North America as it boosts innovation, leads to economic growth, enriches democracies and advances security.
The partners will affirmatively advance equity and racial justice within their countries. They will root out the barriers to equal opportunity that still face marginalized communities, the release reported. They will share information on innovative strategies to advance equity and racial justice through public policies and societies. They will establish a Trilateral Racial Equity and Inclusion Expert Network.
Blinken said the partners will find ways to engage communities that have experienced racism and discrimination in driving solutions that protect the rights of marginalized community members, according to the release. He said they will “advance health equity and economic inclusion; address racial and other disparities in the justice system, access to the ballot and educational opportunities; and reflect the diversity of our nations in our federal public services workforce.”
The collaboration will advance the rights and aspirations seen in multilateral commitments through participation in regional and multilateral organizations, the release reported. Some examples include the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the International Decade for People of African Descent, the UN Sustainable Development Goals and other joint undertakings.
According to the release, anyone with questions can contact the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs at WHA-Press@state.gov for further information.
