Arizona-Mexico Commission
Encyclopedia
The Arizona-Mexico Commission (AMC), is a public/private, membership-driven,
501(c)(4) non-profit organization that formulates programs and action items
impacting the relationship between Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...

, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

, and Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages  – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...

.

Chaired by the Governor of Arizona, the AMC has the mission to improve the economic well-being and quality of life for the citizens of Arizona by promoting a strong, cooperative relationship with Mexico and Latin America through advocacy, trade, networking and information. The AMC headquarters office is maintained within the Arizona State Capitol
Arizona State Capitol
The Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix, Arizona, United States, formerly housed the Territorial and State Legislatures, as well as various executive offices...

 building in Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...

.

History

The Arizona-Mexico Commission can trace its roots back to March 1959 when, at
the University of Arizona's
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...

 first Arizona-Sonora
Sonora
Sonora officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 72 municipalities; the capital city is Hermosillo....

 International Conference on Regional Development, Governor Paul J. Fannin
Paul Fannin
Paul Jones Fannin was the 11th Governor of the U.S. state of Arizona from 1959 to 1965 and subsequently a U.S. Senator from Arizona. He was a Republican.- Biography :...

 together with his Sonoran counterpart, Alvaro Obregon Tapia, created the Arizona-Mexico West Coast Trade Commission.

Over the ensuing decade, the community leaders that were comprised by the Arizona-Mexico West Coast
Trade Commission worked to increase social and commercial interaction. Their efforts resulted
in a January 1972 announcement by Arizona Governor Jack Williams
Jack Richard Williams
John Richard Williams , a dedicated political conservative, was a radio announcer, advertising writer, mayor of Phoenix, and the 13th governor of Arizona...

 to form the Arizona-Mexico Commission, thereby establishing a mechanism that promotes greater private sector involvement in the Arizona-Mexico relationship. With the restructuring came six bilateral committees: Trade, Tourism, Banking and Finances, Health, Agriculture, and Livestock.

Two years later, in July 1974, in Guaymas, Sonora, these committees met formally at the first Plenary Session between the AMC and its sister organization, the Commission Sonora-Arizona (CSA). This event was a great success, leading to nearly three decades of uninterrupted AMC-CSA Plenary Sessions.

Today, the AMC continues to be regarded as an international model for cross-border relations. After having incubated numerous projects and initiatives that promote bilateral economic and social development, the AMC's vision of improving quality of life in the region continues to drive efforts by leadership. The AMC promotes a strong, cooperative relationship with Mexico; the facilitation of movement of goods, services, people and information through Mexico and Latin America; and encourages security and sustainable development within border communities.

Management structure

Chaired by the Governor of Arizona, the AMC is governed by an Executive Committee of five members, a Board of Directors consisting of about fifteen directors, and membership of about six hundred governmental and private sector organizations.

Theme

Upon creating the AMC in March 1959, Governor Fannin made the following famous statement regarding the relationship between Arizona and Sonora, Mexico: "God made us neighbors, let us be good neighbors."

Mission statement

To improve the economic well-being and quality of life for residents of Arizona
by promoting a strong, cooperative relationship with Mexico and Latin America through advocacy,
trade, networking and information.

Vision statement

To be a globally recognized public/private champion for improving the quality of life in
Arizona through our relationships with Mexico and Latin America.
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