| Sumario: | The writer discusses the North American Agreement on Labor Cooperation (NAALC) negotiated by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico in 1993, which forms part of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Since it took effect in 1994, the cases that have been treated under the NAALC have provided an important forum for public discussion of labor conditions in NAFTA countries. Used creatively, the NAALC provides an opportunity for promoting workers' rights in the globalizing economy. Advantages of the agreement include the establishment of the labor rights-trade linkage as a matter of policy in trade agreements, the wide range of the agreement's “Labor Principles,” and the range of cross-border avenues and arenas that it opens up for international cooperation in support of workers' rights. Above all, the agreement promotes engagement on labor rights and labor standards on an unparalleled international scale.
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