Borders XXI Program Stirs Sovereignty Fears



   Concerns about national sovereignty and the rights of 

private property owners in the four states bordering on 

Mexico have been raised by reports of a program called Bor-

ders XXI, part of an agreement with Mexico that, in effect, 

moves the border between the two countries 60 miles in both 

directions.  

 According to The Investigative Reporter published in 

Huntington Beach, Calif., the border shift is the result of 

the La Paz Agreement, a 1983 pact between the U.S. and 

Mexico (Agreement for the Protection and Improvement of the 

Environment in the Border Area.) 

   In 1993, the paper continues, the U.S. and Mexico signed 

an environmental side agreement to the North American Free 

Trade Agreement (NAFTA) that dealt with this 120 mile wide 

strip straddling the border from San Diego to the Gulf of 

Mexico.  This agreement, the paper reports, creates and 

provides funding for the Border Environment Cooperation 

Project and the North American Development Bank. A five-

year implementation plan, the paper said, will be developed 

and implemented.  Presumably, the status of property and 

the rights of the 10 million people said to be living in 

the strip will be subject to that plan. 

   The Investigative Reporter  notes that a major objective 

of Borders XXI is to implement Sustainable Development as 

set out in the 1992 U.S. Conference on World Environment in 

Brazil.  These principles, the paper continues, were 

adopted by President Bill Clinton who established the 

"President's Council on Sustainable Development."

   The paper reports that under the Sustainable Development 

programs, as described in a report of the President's 

council, "visioning councils" will be created to limit 

urban sprawl and designate land areas to be designed for 

"pedestrian and bicycle traffic" and rail corridors for 

inter-community travel.

   The council report, according to the publication, 

asserts that "Private property should be "managed for 

sustainability within the constraints of Federal policy and 

community visions."   Other points said to be in this  

population control as well as a recognition to that 

individual freedom, property rights and national sovereign-

ty are obstacles to the vision and must be overcome or 

modified. 

   The Borders XXI program, intended to effectuate Sus-

tainable Development concept, identifies some key ob-

jectives including: 

   Expanding protection of species and habitats;

  Guaranteeing conservation of ecosystems and diversity.  

To achieve this, the U.S. Geological Survey will use 

infrared aerial photography to map the area and monitor 

land use. 

   According to the publication, and others, the 

U.S./Mexico Border XXI Program is a five-volume, 700-page 

document available from the U.S. Environmental Protection 

Agency, 2621 Washington DC 20460.  Ask for EPA-160-D-96-001 

June '96.