The Independent Task Force on the Future of North America, a New York-based body coordinated by the Council on Foreign Relations, has released a detailed set of proposals that build on the recommendations adopted by Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin, Mexican President Vicente Fox, and U.S. President Bush at their March trilateral summit in Waco, TX. The recommendations concern how to pursue and strengthen the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America (SPP), which was adopted at that summit, to coordinate border security and anti-terrorist cooperation among the three NAFTA members.

The key recommendation was for the three nations to move toward establishing a common security perimeter by 2010. The task force also recommended the development of a "North American Border Pass" to expedite passage through customs, immigration and airport security throughout the continent. (State Department press release, May 18)