Partnership for the Americas Commission
With the change in political leadership in Washington in January 2009, the United States has a fresh opportunity to correct a chronic defect in U.S. foreign policy by engaging constructively, comprehensively, and consistently with the nations of Latin America. The Partnership for the Americas Commission, convened by the Brookings Institution, seeks to utilize this opportunity to pose recommendations on critical issues facing the hemisphere.
From economic and poverty policies to security, foreign policy and energy, the Partnership for the Americas Commission will examine common challenges for the United States and Latin America and offer guidelines, ideas, and recommendations on how those challenges might be met.
The Need for New Partnership
Historically, the United States has tended to look south when there have been regional crises directly affecting its own interests. When official Washington addresses what it considers to be “global” challenges, it has often missed or undervalued the hemispheric dimension. As a result, common economic, security, and environmental interests have suffered. There is a deep-seated sense in the region that it is either neglected or receiving too much attention of the wrong kind from the U.S. government and foreign-policy establishment. The Partnership of the Americas Commission is motivated by the need to put U.S. relations with its neighbors on a more solid, productive, and sustainable footing in order to advance prosperity and security in the hemisphere.
Commission Objectives
The Commission has three objectives:
- Raise the profile of Latin America in the U.S. policy debate during and following the U.S. presidential election;
- Provide the next U.S. administration and Congress with concrete policy ideas for addressing hemispheric challenges of mutual concern, bilaterally and multilaterally;
- Stimulate Latin American leaders to consider ways to constructively engage the United States.
Commission Members
The Commission is composed of 20 high-level commissioners from the United States and Latin America, and is co-chaired by President Ernesto Zedillo and U.S. Ambassador Thomas R. Pickering. Its members are leaders from the highest levels of government, business, and civil society. Each individual participates in a personal capacity.
Partnership Recommendations
In the fall of 2008, the Commission will publish a report that identifies common hemispheric/regional challenges, summarizes U.S. and Latin American views about how those challenges might be met, and provides clear recommendations aimed primarily at U.S. policymakers, but with the input and insights of leaders from Latin America. The report will focus on the following issues:
- Poverty and development
- Trade and investment
- Narcotics and organized crime
- Immigration
- Energy
- Political, security, and diplomatic engagement
For more information about the Commission, please contact Leonardo Martinez-Diaz, Deputy Director of the Commission at lmartinez@brookings.edu or +1-202-797-6044.
Co-Chairs
Ernesto Zedillo
Former President of Mexico
Thomas R. Pickering
Former U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs
Commissioners
Nancy Birdsall
President, Center for Global Development
Jonathan Coles
Former Minster of Agriculture of Venezuela
Roberto Dañino
Former Prime Minister of Peru
Jeffrey Davidow
President, Institute of the Americas
John Deutch
Former Deputy Secretary of Defense and Director, Central Intelligence Agency
Peter Hakim
President, Inter-American Dialogue
Alberto Ibargüen
President and CEO, Knight Foundation
Suzanne Nora Johnson
Senior Director, Former Vice Chairman, Goldman Sachs
Celso Lafer
Former Foreign Minister of Brazil
Ricardo Lagos
Former President of Chile
Carlos Ivan Simonsen Leal
President, Fundação Getulio Vargas, Brazil
Thomas “Mack” McLarty
Former U.S. Envoy to the Americas
Billie Miller
Former Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Barbados
Moisés Naím
Editor in Chief, Foreign Policy Magazine
Jorge Quiroga
Former President of Bolivia
Thomas Ramey
Chairman and President, Liberty International
Eduardo Stein
Former Vice President of Guatemala
Strobe Talbott
President, Brookings Institution