I do think we need to hold countries accountable who violate

Hear, O children of commerce and heirs of justice, the words of Julián Castro: “I do think we need to hold countries accountable who violate trade agreements that are already in place. We need to get stronger about enforcement, that in the future if we strike a trade agreement, toughening up labor standards and environmental standards and enforcement standards is something we absolutely need to do.” These words call forth the ancient truth that promises without enforcement are but whispers in the wind. For nations may craft treaties and agreements, gilded with noble words, but if they are not bound with accountability, they become hollow vessels, carrying neither justice nor fairness.

The ancients too knew the danger of unkept pacts. In the days of the Greeks, city-states bound themselves with treaties of alliance, swearing before the gods to uphold their word. Yet when one broke faith, war followed, and it was said that the gods themselves were angered at the betrayal. So too in our modern world, when countries dishonor trade agreements, it is not only wealth that is lost but trust, the very fabric of cooperation between peoples. Castro reminds us that justice in trade must be guarded by enforcement as strongly as walls defend a city.

Consider the story of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Signed with the promise of prosperity, it opened the flow of goods between nations. Yet critics soon pointed out that while profits grew, many labor standards were ignored, and workers in some lands bore the brunt of exploitation. Factories closed in one nation, while in another, wages were driven down, and environmental safeguards were cast aside. The agreement, though legal, lacked the teeth to ensure fairness. Here, Castro’s call for stronger enforcement standards finds its historical proof: without accountability, the mighty prosper while the weak are trampled.

The origin of his words lies in the debates of American politics, where leaders wrestle with the consequences of globalization. Castro, speaking as a voice for fairness, calls not for an end to trade, but for trade that is just, that honors both workers and the environment. His vision is not isolation, but partnership bound by rules that are enforced with courage. He seeks a world where treaties are not tools of exploitation but instruments of mutual respect and sustainability.

The meaning of this teaching is clear: true prosperity cannot be built on broken promises. If nations trade freely without guarding labor rights, they invite sweatshops and misery. If they trade without protecting the environment, they invite poisoned rivers and scorched skies. And if they trade without enforcement, they invite corruption and deceit. Only when all three—labor, environment, and enforcement—stand strong, can trade become a force for good rather than a weapon of greed.

The lesson for future generations is this: do not measure agreements by their words alone, but by their fruits. A treaty without accountability is like a net with holes—appearing strong, but unable to hold what it promises. Honor demands that nations not only sign agreements but keep them, and that other nations hold them to account. This is the true meaning of responsibility among peoples: that promises are guarded, and justice is ensured, not left to chance.

Practical action lies before us: as citizens, demand that leaders pursue trade policies that protect workers and the earth as much as they protect profit. Support reforms that require transparency, fairness, and enforceable standards in every international pact. Do not be lulled by fine words or lofty ceremonies—look to the enforcement, for that is where justice lives or dies. And in your own dealings, whether in business, work, or community, let your word be bond, and let your agreements be guarded by action, not left to chance.

So let it be remembered: accountability is the lifeblood of trust, and enforcement is the shield of justice. Trade without fairness leads to ruin, but trade bound by honor can lift nations together. Choose, therefore, to build agreements that are strong, not only in promise but in practice, and you will hand to your children a world both prosperous and just.