North American Forum
Encyclopedia
The North American Forum is an annual meeting of U.S., Canadian
and Mexican
government and business representatives to discuss issues related to continental economic and social integration
. The Forum is chaired jointly by former United States Secretary of State
George Shultz, former Mexican Finance Minister Pedro Aspe
, and former Alberta
premier Peter Lougheed
.
. The Forum is tri-national in scope and design, but the agenda each year is designed by the organizing country. An October 27, 2005 article in the Financial Post contained a partial list of invited guests, which included former Canadian finance minister John Manley
, Mexican ambassador to the U.S. Carlos de Icaza, Chevron
CEO David J. O'Reilly
, former head of the CIA R. James Woolsey, Jr.
, and a host of U.S. policy advisors to President George W. Bush
.
The 2006 North American Forumtook place from September 12 to September 14 at the Banff Springs Hotel
in Alberta, Canada. It was hosted by the Canadian Council of Chief Executives
with help from the Canada West Foundation. Under the title Continental Prosperity in the New Security Environment, the Forum included sessions on "North American Energy Strategy," "Demographic and Social Dimensions of North American Integration," and "Border Infrastructure," among other topics.
Similar discussions regularly take place among North American government and business representatives through the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America
. And in a speech to the Greater Toronto Marketing Alliance on October 10, 2006, U.S. Consul General John Nay referred to the North American Forum as a "sister organization" and "parallel structure" to the SPP.
The third meeting of the North American Forum was held October 12-14, 2007 in Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. The title was "North American Cooperation and Community" and the studied topics were demographic trends, migration and development, and regional approaches to addressing climate change.
2008 saw the return of the Forum to the United States, when the meeting was held June 15-17 in Washington, DC. The theme was "Toward a More Resilient North America" and the Forum took stock of progress made among the three governments and in the private sector. Secretary of Energy Samuel Bodman, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates
, and Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte
all addressed the Forum. Secretary Gates' speech can be read on the Defense Department's website.
The most recent meeting of the North American Forum was in October 2009. In Canada for a second time, the Forum met in Ottawa to discuss "Beyond the Crisis: Forging a More Resilient North America." Washington Post Associate Editor Jim Hoagland attended the meeting and wrote about the meeting in an article that ran on October 25, 2009. Mary O'Grady of the Wall Street Journal interviewed Forum Co-Chair and former US Secretary of State George P. Shultz about the drug war in Mexico, one of the many topics discussed at the meeting. Her interview ran in the Journal on October 11, 2009.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and Mexican
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...
government and business representatives to discuss issues related to continental economic and social integration
North American integration
North American integration refers to the process of economic and political integration in North America particularly integration of Canada, Mexico, and the United States.- The North American Accord :While Ronald Reagan was organizing his run for the 1980 U.S...
. The Forum is chaired jointly by former United States Secretary of State
United States Secretary of State
The United States Secretary of State is the head of the United States Department of State, concerned with foreign affairs. The Secretary is a member of the Cabinet and the highest-ranking cabinet secretary both in line of succession and order of precedence...
George Shultz, former Mexican Finance Minister Pedro Aspe
Pedro Aspe
Pedro Carlos Aspe Armella is a Mexican economist. He served as secretary of finance in the cabinet of Carlos Salinas de Gortari, where he successfully renegotiated foreign debt, gave autonomy to the central bank and promoted a controversial privatization plan.Aspe Armella is the son of Pedro Aspe...
, and former Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
premier Peter Lougheed
Peter Lougheed
Edgar Peter Lougheed, PC, CC, AOE, QC, is a Canadian lawyer, and a former politician and Canadian Football League player. He served as the tenth Premier of Alberta from 1971 to 1985....
.
History
The inaugural North American Forum took place in October 2005 in Sonoma, CaliforniaSonoma, California
Sonoma is a historically significant city in Sonoma Valley, Sonoma County, California, USA, surrounding its historic town plaza, a remnant of the town's Mexican colonial past. It was the capital of the short-lived California Republic...
. The Forum is tri-national in scope and design, but the agenda each year is designed by the organizing country. An October 27, 2005 article in the Financial Post contained a partial list of invited guests, which included former Canadian finance minister John Manley
John Manley
John Manley may refer to:* John Manley , English soldier, MP and Postmaster General* John Manley, Canadian politician* John Manley , British archaeologist* John H. Manley, American nuclear physicist...
, Mexican ambassador to the U.S. Carlos de Icaza, Chevron
Chevron Corporation
Chevron Corporation is an American multinational energy corporation headquartered in San Ramon, California, United States and active in more than 180 countries. It is engaged in every aspect of the oil, gas, and geothermal energy industries, including exploration and production; refining,...
CEO David J. O'Reilly
David J. O'Reilly
David J. O'Reilly , is former chairman and CEO of Chevron Corporation. In 1968, he graduated with a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from University College, Dublin, from which he also received an honorary doctor of science degree in June 2002. He began his career with Chevron Research...
, former head of the CIA R. James Woolsey, Jr.
R. James Woolsey, Jr.
Robert James Woolsey Jr. is a foreign policy specialist and former Director of Central Intelligence and head of the Central Intelligence Agency .-Early life:...
, and a host of U.S. policy advisors to President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
.
The 2006 North American Forumtook place from September 12 to September 14 at the Banff Springs Hotel
Banff Springs Hotel
The Fairmont Banff Springs or simply the Banff Springs Hotel is a former railway hotel constructed in Scottish Baronial style located in Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada. The original hotel, designed by American architect Bruce Price, was built between spring of 1887 and 1888 by the Canadian...
in Alberta, Canada. It was hosted by the Canadian Council of Chief Executives
Canadian Council of Chief Executives
The Canadian Council of Chief Executives is an organization in Canada of chief executive officers of roughly 150 major Canadian corporations. The organization was founded in 1976 as the Business Council on National Issues, but renamed itself in 2001. The council actively comments on public...
with help from the Canada West Foundation. Under the title Continental Prosperity in the New Security Environment, the Forum included sessions on "North American Energy Strategy," "Demographic and Social Dimensions of North American Integration," and "Border Infrastructure," among other topics.
Similar discussions regularly take place among North American government and business representatives through the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America
Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America
The Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America was a region-level dialogue with the stated purpose of providing greater cooperation on security and economic issues. The Partnership was founded in Waco, Texas on March 23, 2005 by Paul Martin, Prime Minister of Canada, Vicente Fox,...
. And in a speech to the Greater Toronto Marketing Alliance on October 10, 2006, U.S. Consul General John Nay referred to the North American Forum as a "sister organization" and "parallel structure" to the SPP.
The third meeting of the North American Forum was held October 12-14, 2007 in Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. The title was "North American Cooperation and Community" and the studied topics were demographic trends, migration and development, and regional approaches to addressing climate change.
2008 saw the return of the Forum to the United States, when the meeting was held June 15-17 in Washington, DC. The theme was "Toward a More Resilient North America" and the Forum took stock of progress made among the three governments and in the private sector. Secretary of Energy Samuel Bodman, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates
Robert Gates
Dr. Robert Michael Gates is a retired civil servant and university president who served as the 22nd United States Secretary of Defense from 2006 to 2011. Prior to this, Gates served for 26 years in the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Council, and under President George H. W....
, and Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte
John Negroponte
John Dimitri Negroponte is an American diplomat. He is currently a research fellow and lecturer in international affairs at Yale University's Jackson Institute for Global Affairs...
all addressed the Forum. Secretary Gates' speech can be read on the Defense Department's website.
The most recent meeting of the North American Forum was in October 2009. In Canada for a second time, the Forum met in Ottawa to discuss "Beyond the Crisis: Forging a More Resilient North America." Washington Post Associate Editor Jim Hoagland attended the meeting and wrote about the meeting in an article that ran on October 25, 2009. Mary O'Grady of the Wall Street Journal interviewed Forum Co-Chair and former US Secretary of State George P. Shultz about the drug war in Mexico, one of the many topics discussed at the meeting. Her interview ran in the Journal on October 11, 2009.
Participants
The Council of Canadians acquired a copy of the 2006 agenda and guest list, which is posted below:Canadian Participants
- Col. Peter Atkinson, Special Advisor to Chief of Defence Staff;
- Hon. Perrin Beatty, Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters;
- Mr. Peter M. Boehm, Assistant Deputy Minister (North America) Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada;
- Mr. Thomas d’Aquino, Canadian Council of Chief ExecutivesCanadian Council of Chief ExecutivesThe Canadian Council of Chief Executives is an organization in Canada of chief executive officers of roughly 150 major Canadian corporations. The organization was founded in 1976 as the Business Council on National Issues, but renamed itself in 2001. The council actively comments on public...
; - Hon. Stockwell DayStockwell DayStockwell Burt Day, Jr., PC, MP is a former Canadian politician, and a member of the Conservative Party of Canada. He is a former cabinet minister in Alberta, and a former leader of the Canadian Alliance. Day was MP for the riding of Okanagan—Coquihalla in British Columbia and the president of...
, Minister of Public Safety, Government of Canada; - Dr. Wendy Dobson, The Institute for International Business;
- Mr. N. Murray Edwards, Edco Financial Holdings Ltd.;
- Mr. Ward P.D. ElcockWard P.D. ElcockWard P.D. Elcock is a Canadian civil servant who served as the Director of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service from 1994 until May 2004. He served as the Deputy Minister of National Defence from August 5, 2004 to October 1, 2007....
, Deputy Minister of National Defence; - Mr. Bill Elliott, Associate Deputy Minister, Public Safety;
- Dr. John English, The Cdn Centre for International Governance Innovation;
- Mr. Brian Felesky, Felesky Flynn LLP;
- Mr. Richard L. George, Suncor EnergySuncor EnergySuncor Energy Inc. is a Canadian integrated energy company based in Calgary, Alberta. It specializes in production of synthetic crude from oil sands...
Inc.; - Dr. Roger Gibbins, Canada West Foundation;
- Rear Adm Roger Girouard, Commander Joint Task Force Pacific, Cdn Forces;
- Major Gen Daniel Gosselin, Director General, International Security Policy;
- Mr. James K. Gray, Canada West Foundation;
- Mr. Fred Green, Canadian Pacific RailwayCanadian Pacific RailwayThe Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
; - Mr. V. Peter Harder, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs;
- Mr. Paul J. Hill, Harvard Developments Inc.;
- General Rick HillierRick HillierGeneral Rick Hillier, CMM, MSC, CD , is the former Chief of the Defence Staff of the Canadian Forces. He held this appointment from February 4, 2005 to July 1, 2008. He retired on July 1, 2008, and was replaced by former Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff Walter Natynczyk...
, Chief of the Defence Staff; - Mr. Pierre Marc Johnston, Heenan Blaikie;
- Mr. James Kinnear, Pengrowth Corporation;
- Mr. Harold N. Kvisle, TransCanada Corporation;
- Hon. John P. Manley, McCarthy Tetrault LLP;
- Mr. Ron Mannix, Coril Holdings Ltd.;
- Mr. Ron Mathison, Matco Investments;
- Hon. Anne McLellanAnne McLellan|-...
, Senior Counsel, Bennett Jones; - Hon. Greg Melchin, Minister of Energy, Government of Alberta;
- Ms. Sharon Murphy, Chevron CorporationChevron CorporationChevron Corporation is an American multinational energy corporation headquartered in San Ramon, California, United States and active in more than 180 countries. It is engaged in every aspect of the oil, gas, and geothermal energy industries, including exploration and production; refining,...
Canada; - Ms. Sheila O’Brien, President, Corporate Director, Belvedere Investments;
- Hon. Gordon O’Connor, Minister of Defense, Government of Canada;
- Mr. Berel Rodal, International Center on Nonviolent Conflict;
- Mr. Gordon Smith, Chairman, The International Development Research Centre.
American Participants
- Ms. Deborah Bolton, Political Advisor to Commander, US Northcom;
- Mr. Ron T. Covais, President, The Americas, Lockheed MartinLockheed MartinLockheed Martin is an American global aerospace, defense, security, and advanced technology company with worldwide interests. It was formed by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta in March 1995. It is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, in the Washington Metropolitan Area....
Corporation; - Sec. Kenneth W. DamKenneth W. DamKenneth W. Dam served as Deputy Secretary of the Treasury from 2001 to 2003, where he specialized in international economic development...
, Max Pam Professor Emeritus of American & Foreign Law and Senior Lecturer, University of Chicago Law School; - Mr. Dan Fisk, Senior Director, Western Hemisphere, National Security CouncilUnited States National Security CouncilThe White House National Security Council in the United States is the principal forum used by the President of the United States for considering national security and foreign policy matters with his senior national security advisors and Cabinet officials and is part of the Executive Office of the...
; - Sec. Ryan Henry, Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Policy;
- Ms. Carla A. Hills, Chairman & CEO, Hills & Co.;
- Ms. Caryn Hollis, DASD (Acting) Western Hemisphere Affairs;
- Mr. Bill Irwin, Manager - International Government Affairs; Policy, Government and Public Affairs, Chevron CorporationChevron CorporationChevron Corporation is an American multinational energy corporation headquartered in San Ramon, California, United States and active in more than 180 countries. It is engaged in every aspect of the oil, gas, and geothermal energy industries, including exploration and production; refining,...
; - Mr. Robert G. James, President, Enterprise Asset Management Inc.;
- Admiral Tim Keating, Commander, United States Northern CommandUnited States Northern CommandUnited States Northern Command is a Unified Combatant Command of the United States military. Created on 1 October 2002 in the aftermath of the 11 September 2001 attacks, its mission is to protect the United States homeland and support local, state, and federal authorities...
; - Mr. Floyd Kvamme, Chair, President’s Council of Advisors on Science & Technology and Director, Centre for Global Security Res.;
- Dr. Ronald F. LehmanRonald F. LehmanAmbassador Ronald F. Lehman, II is currently Director of the Center for Global Security Research at the United States Department of Energy's Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory...
II, Director, Center for Global Security Research, Lawrence Livermore National LaboratoryLawrence Livermore National LaboratoryThe Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory , just outside Livermore, California, is a Federally Funded Research and Development Center founded by the University of California in 1952...
; - Mr. William W. McIlhenny, Policy Planning Council for Western Hemisphere Affairs;
- Dr. Peter McPherson, President, National Association of State Universities & Land-Grant Colleges;
- Ms. Doris Meissner, Senior Fellow, Migration Policy InstituteMigration Policy InstituteThe Migration Policy Institute is a Washington, D.C.-based think tank established in 2001 by Kathleen Newland and Demetrios G. Papademetriou. It is "an independent, non-partisan, non-profit think-tank dedicated to the study of the movement of people worldwide." The Migration policy Institute works...
; - Dr. George Miller, Director, Lawrence Livermore National LaboratoryLawrence Livermore National LaboratoryThe Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory , just outside Livermore, California, is a Federally Funded Research and Development Center founded by the University of California in 1952...
; - Mr. George Nethercutt, Chairman, US Section of the Permanent Joint Board of DefensePermanent Joint Board of DefenseThe Permanent Joint Board on Defence was established by Canada and the United States on August 17, 1940 by joint announcement of President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King at Ogdensburg, New York as the senior advisory body on continental military defence of...
, US – Canada (Security); - Mary O’Grady, Journalist for Wall Street Journal (Area Specialist);
- Dr. Robert A. Pastor, Director, Center for North American Studies, American University, Washington, DC;
- Dr. William Perry, Co-Director, Preventive Defense Project;
- Lt. Gen. Gene RenuartVictor E. Renuart Jr.Victor Eugene "Gene" Renuart, Jr., is a retired United States Air Force four-star general. His last military assignment was as the commander of United States Northern Command which he concurrently served as the commander of North American Aerospace Defense Command from March 23, 2007, to May 19,...
, USAF Senior Military Assist. to Sec. Rumsfeld; - Mr. Eric Ruff, Department of Defense Press Secretary;
- Sec. Donald RumsfeldDonald RumsfeldDonald Henry Rumsfeld is an American politician and businessman. Rumsfeld served as the 13th Secretary of Defense from 1975 to 1977 under President Gerald Ford, and as the 21st Secretary of Defense from 2001 to 2006 under President George W. Bush. He is both the youngest and the oldest person to...
, Secretary of Defense, US Department of Defense; - Dr. James Schlesinger, Former Sec. Of Energy & Defense;
- Mr. William Schneider, President, International Planning Services;
- Sec. Clay Sell, Deputy Secretary of Energy, US Dept. of Energy;
- Dr. Thomas A. Shannon, Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere A;
- Dr. David G. Victor, Director, Program on Energy & Sustainable Development, Center for Environmental Science & Policy;
- Maj. Gen. Mark A Volcheff, Director, Plans, Policy & Strategy, NORAD-NORTHCOM;
- Ms. Jane Wales, President & CEO, World Affairs Council of Northern California;
- Mr. R. James Woolsey, Vice President, Booz Allen HamiltonBooz Allen HamiltonBooz Allen Hamilton Inc. , or more commonly Booz Allen, is an American public consulting firm headquartered in McLean, Fairfax County, Virginia, with 80 other offices throughout the United States. Ralph Shrader is its Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. The firm was founded by Edwin Booz in...
.
Mexican Participants
- Emb Andrés Rozental, (Mexican Coordinator)– Mexican Council on Foreign Relations;
- Silvia Hernández, Former Senator and Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on North America;
- Mario Molina, 1995 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry;
- Fernando Chico Pardo, CEO, Promecap;
- Juan Gallardo, CEO, Grupo GEUSA;
- Gerónimo Gutiérrez, Deputy Foreign Minister for North America;
- Luis de la Calle, Consultant. Former Deputy Minister of Economy;
- Agustín Barrios Gómez, Solutions Abroad;
- Vinicio Suro, PemexPemexPetróleos Mexicanos or Pemex is a Mexican state-owned petroleum company. As of 2010, with a total asset worth of $415.75 billion, it is the second non-publicly listed largest company in the world by total market value, and Latin America's second largest enterprise by annual revenue as of 2009...
; - Eduardo Medina Mora, Secretary of Public Security;
- Carlos Heredia, State Government of Michoacán;
- Jaime Zabludowsky, Consultant and former trade negotiator;
- Manuel Arango, CEO, Grupo Concord;
- Jorge Santibañez, President, El Colegio de la Frontera Norte;
- Luis Rubio, CIDAC;
- Mónica Serrano, El Colegio de México, Señor Fellow Oxford University;
- Arturo SarukhanArturo SarukhánArturo Sarukhan Casamitjana is a Mexican diplomat. He is the current Ambassador of Mexico to the United States, a former Consul General at New York City, and served as foreign policy coordinator in Felipe Calderón's presidential campaign and transition team .His grandfather, Artur Sarukhanian, was...
, Coordinator of Int’l Affairs, Campaign of Felipe CalderónFelipe CalderónFelipe de Jesús Calderón Hinojosa is the current President of Mexico. He assumed office on December 1, 2006, and was elected for a single six-year term through 2012...
; - Juan Camilo MouriñoJuan Camilo MouriñoJuan Camilo Mouriño Terrazo was a Mexican politician affiliated to the National Action Party and the Secretary of the Interior in the cabinet of President Felipe Calderón...
, General Coordinator of President Elect’s transition team; - Ernesto Cordero, Coordinator for Public Policy Issues.
Ambassadors/Consul General
- Mr. Carlos de Icaza, Ambassador of Mexico to the United States;
- Mr. Gaëtan Lavertu, Ambassador of Canada to Mexico;
- Ms. Maria Teresa Garcia Segovia de Madero, Ambassador of Mexico to Canada;
- Mr. Thomas Huffaker, U.S. Consul General in Calgary (on DOD’s list);
- Mr. John Dickson, Deputy Chief of Mission, US Embassy in Ottawa (representing Ambassador of US to Canada);
- Mr. Colin Robertson, Minister & Head, Washington Advocacy Secretariat (representing Ambassador of Canada to US).
See also
- North American Free Trade AgreementNorth American Free Trade AgreementThe North American Free Trade Agreement or NAFTA is an agreement signed by the governments of Canada, Mexico, and the United States, creating a trilateral trade bloc in North America. The agreement came into force on January 1, 1994. It superseded the Canada – United States Free Trade Agreement...
- Security and Prosperity Partnership of North AmericaSecurity and Prosperity Partnership of North AmericaThe Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America was a region-level dialogue with the stated purpose of providing greater cooperation on security and economic issues. The Partnership was founded in Waco, Texas on March 23, 2005 by Paul Martin, Prime Minister of Canada, Vicente Fox,...