Letter of Intent between the Department of Health of Canada and the Secretariat of Health of the United Mexican States on Health Sector Collaboration

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The Department of Health of Canada and the Secretariat of Health of the United Mexican States, hereinafter referred to as the "Participants",

Recognizing the importance of population and public health in national development;

Desiring to expand their exchanges in the fields of health policies and population and public health approaches in a spirit of equality, reciprocity and mutual benefit;

Convinced that cooperation in expanding these exchanges will develop further good relations and collaboration between the health sectors in their respective countries;

Being aware that lasting relations between the two countries will require collaboration between Canada and Mexico health institutions based on regular and ongoing exchange mechanisms;

Have declared their intention as follows:

1. The Participants will cooperate with a view to encouraging and facilitating mutually acceptable contacts, exchanges and cooperation between government agencies, health institutions, specialists, scientists and health professionals in the field of health by:
   1. participating in congresses, meetings, conferences and symposia in the Participants' respective countries;
   2. facilitating the exchange of the Participants' respective scientists, clinicians and other health professionals, as well as health information;
   3. promoting cooperation between the Participants' respective health associations and health institutions, and
   4. promoting direct cooperation between research institutions in the Participants' respective countries on mutually elected subjects.
2. The Participants have identified a number of subject matters with respect to which mutually acceptable exchanges and cooperation will be pursued, such as:
   1. communicable and non-communicable diseases;
   2. human health resources;
   3. health equity and health care of indigenous people;
   4. mental health;
   5. health research;
   6. environmental health;
   7. health policy development;
   8. health systems management and financing, and
   9. other health topics of mutual interest.
3. The Participants will work together to develop an Instrument which will:
   1. confirm the subject matters with respect to which mutually acceptable exchanges and cooperation will be pursued, and
   2. set out how those exchanges and cooperation will occur over the duration of this Letter of Intent.
4. For greater certainty, the Participants acknowledge that the specific activities to be carried out by the Participants under this Instrument will be the subject of subsequent programmes or projects which the Participants will attempt to negotiate in order to set out the terms applicable to such specific activities. The subsequent programmes or projects will be subject to compliance with the Participants' laws and policies, as applicable.
5. Neither Participant is obligated to pay to, nor is entitled to receive from, the other Participant, any form of remuneration under this Letter of Intent.
6. For administrative purposes, the contact person for each Participant will be the following:
   • For Canada: Carla Penn Gilders, Director General, International Affairs Directorate, Health Canada. Jeanne Mance Building, PL 1903B, Tunney's Pasture, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1A 0K9
   • For Mexico: Lic. Mauricio Bailón González, Director General, Dirección General de Relaciones Internacionales, Secretaria de Salud, Mexico, Homero 213, Piso 3, Col. Chapultapec Morales, 11570 Mexico, D.F.
7. This Letter of Intent is not intended to create legally binding obligations between the Participants either under domestic or international law.

Signed in duplicate in Ottawa, on this twenty fifth day of October two thousand four, in the English, French and Spanish languages, each version being equally valid.