About the Commission
The Partnership for the Americas Commission contributed to the discussion of how the United States can best engage the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) to tackle key regional and global challenges. The Commission was first convened by the Brookings Institution in May 2008 and concluded its deliberations as the world was reeling under financial crisis in the autumn of 2008. It met in Washington three times and was staffed by the Brookings Institution’s Latin America Initiative.
The Partnership for the Americas Commission released its report, “Rethinking U.S.-Latin American Relations: A Hemispheric Partnership for a Turbulent World,” in November 2008. In an op-ed discussing the report, Ernesto Zedillo and Thomas Pickering, co-chairs of the Commission, urge the incoming Obama administration and Members of Congress to pursue a “hemispheric partnership to address common challenges” with Latin America and the Caribbean. Latin America, they argue, with 600 million people and a $3.5 trillion economy, has a significant impact on the lives of Americans.