53rd Annual Washington Conference on the Americas

May 2, 2023

8:30 am to 12:00 pm ET

Organization of American States

17th Street and Constitution Ave., NW

Washington

Live broadcast

Overview

Please join us on the morning of May 2, 2023, for the 53rd annual Washington Conference on the Americas: Opportunities in a New Global Reality. We are excited to announce that for the first time ever, this year’s conference will be free to attend for all members and will take place at the Organization of American States from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. ET. A separate keynote event for sponsors will conclude the program.

The Washington Conference on the Americas is the premier event on the region. Each year, this conference offers an excellent opportunity to hear from the most senior-level officials. It also offers participants the chance to engage with business and policy leaders, members of the diplomatic community, and special invited guests from throughout the hemisphere. Given the many currents and dramatic shifts shaping the region, this year’s conference is not to be missed!

Speakers

Laurentino Cortizo Cohen, President of Panama
Brian Nichols, Assistant Secretary of State, Western Hemisphere Affairs
Bill Cassidy, U.S. Senator (R-LA)
Mary Ng, Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development, Canada
Manuel Tovar, Minister of Foreign Trade, Costa Rica
David Malpass, President, The World Bank Group
Ilan Goldfajn, President of the Inter-American Development Bank
Bill Hagerty, U.S. Senator (R-TN)
David Turk, Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department of Energy
Katherine Tai, United States Trade Representative
Luis Almagro, Secretary General, Organization of American States
Susan Segal, President & CEO, Council of the Americas
Eric Farnsworth, Vice President, Council of the Americas
Andres Gluski, Chairman, Council of the Americas

Details on this year's conference:

This is a member-only event for in-person attendees.
A virtual option will be available for non-members and members who are unable to join the event in-person in Washington, DC.
Due to the generosity of our sponsors, there is no cost to attend in 2023.
The conference agenda incorporates fireside chat interviews, moderated panel discussions, and opportunities for networking with senior leaders from the private and public sectors.
For sponsors, the conference includes exclusive embassy programs, private meetings with senior officials, and the keynote event.

We hope you will join us for what promises to be another outstanding program. To attend in person, register with Jorge Merino at wca@as-coa.org. We look forward to seeing you on May 2!

Press inquiries: mediarelations@as-coa.org

Join the discussion on Twitter #2023WCA | @ASCOA

Learn more about past editions of the Washington Conference on the Americas. Learn more about the conference by reading last year’s report.

Agenda

Download a PDF of the agenda.

Opportunities in a New Global Reality

May 2, 2023, 7:30 am–12:00 pm, Organization of American States

7:30–8:30 am — Registration and Continental Breakfast

8:30–8:40 am — Welcome, Introduction, and Conference Video

Eric Farnsworth, Vice President, Council of the Americas
Brian Nichols, Assistant Secretary of State, Western Hemisphere Affairs

8:40-9:25 am — Reinvigorating the Hemispheric Trade Agenda

Bill Cassidy, U.S. Senator (R-LA)
Mary Ng, Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development, Canada
Manuel Tovar, Minister of Foreign Trade, Costa Rica

Moderated by Eric Farnsworth, Vice President, Council of the Americas. Introduced by Arrow Augerot, Director, Americas Public Policy, Amazon

9:30–10:05 am — Strengthening Resilience, Boosting Growth

David Malpass, President, The World Bank Group
Ilan Goldfajn, President, Inter-American Development Bank

Moderated by Susan Segal, President & CEO, Council of the Americas

10:10–10:35 am — U.S. Policy in the Americas: A view from the Senate

Bill Hagerty, U.S. Senator (R-TN)

Interviewed by Susan Segal, President & CEO, Council of the Americas

10:35–10:40 am — Special Message from Laurentino Cortizo Cohen, President of Panama

10:40–11:00 am — Coffee/Networking Break

11:00–11:25 am — The Western Hemisphere's Critical Role in Energy Transition

David Turk, Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department of Energy

Interviewed by Andres Gluski, Chairman, Council of the Americas. Introduced by Amy Conroy, Head, International Government Affairs, Shell

11:30–11:55 am — U.S. Trade Priorities

Katherine Tai, United States Trade Representative

Interviewed by Eric Farnsworth, Vice President, Council of the Americas. Introduced by Karen Knutson, Vice President, Government Affairs, Chevron

12:00 pm — Program Close

Luis Almagro, Secretary General, Organization of American States

Introduced by Andres Gluski Chairman, Council of the Americas

We appreciate the support of our sponsors. Learn more:

Speakers

Laurentino Cortizo Cohen

President of Panama

Laurentino Cortizo Cohen is President of the Republic of Panama.

He was born in Panama on January 30, 1953. He studied secondary school at Colegio La Salle in Nicaragua.. He holds a degree in Business Administration from the University of Norwich in the United States. He has a PhD...

Luis Almagro

Secretary General, Organization of American States (OAS)

Luis Almagro was reelected for a second term as secretary general of the Organization of American States (OAS) on March 20, 2020. He was first elected to the position on March 18, 2015, with the support of 33 of the 34 member states and one abstention. Upon taking up the...

Bill Cassidy

United States Senator, Louisiana

Dr. Bill Cassidy is the senior United States Senator for Louisiana. Bill grew up in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and attended Louisiana State University (LSU) for undergraduate and medical school. In 1990, Bill joined LSU Medical School teaching medical students and residents at Earl...

Ilan Goldfajn

President, Inter-American Development Bank

Ilan Goldfajn was elected IDB president on November 20, 2022.

Mr. Goldfajn served as Director of the Western Hemisphere Department at the International Monetary Fund in 2022, where he helped countries implement IMF-supported programs to address an unprecedented array of challenges...

Bill Hagerty

United States Senator, Tenessee

Bill Hagerty is a United States Senator from Tennessee, elected to the U.S. Senate in 2020 and is currently serving his first term representing the state of Tennessee. His committee assignments include: U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, & Urban Affairs; U.S. Senate...

David R. Malpass

President, World Bank Group

David R. Malpass was selected as 13th President of the World Bank Group by its Board of Executive Directors on April 5, 2019. His five-year term began on April 9.

Mr. Malpass previously served as Under Secretary of the Treasury for International Affairs for the United States. Mr...

Brian A. Nichols

Assistant Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs, U.S. Department of State

Brian A. Nichols became Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs on September 15, 2021. Assistant Secretary Nichols previously served as the U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Zimbabwe from 2018 to 2021. In that role, he promoted democracy, rule of law and...

Mary Ng

Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development of Canada

Mary Ng was first elected as Member of Parliament for Markham—Thornhill in 2017. She has previously served as Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade.

Minister Ng is a devoted community leader who has always believed in the power of public service. She...

Katherine Tai

United States Trade Representative

Ambassador Katherine Tai was sworn in as the nineteenth U.S. Trade Representative on March 18, 2021. As a member of the President’s cabinet, Ambassador Tai is the principal trade adviser, negotiator, and spokesperson on U.S. trade policy.

Prior to her unanimous Senate...

Manuel Tovar Rivera

Minister of Foreign Trade of Costa Rica

Manuel Tovar Rivera is the Minister of Foreign Trade of Costa Rica, and President of the Costa Rican Foreign Trade Promoter (PROCOMER).

Prior to his appointment as Minister of Foreign Trade, Mr. Tovar served as Representative and Head of the Costa Rican Delegation to the OECD...

David Turk

Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department of Energy

David Turk is the Deputy Secretary of Energy. Prior to his nomination as Deputy Secretary, Turk was the Deputy Executive Director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), where he focused on helping countries around the world tackle their clean energy transitions. He also...

Andrés Gluski

President and CEO, The AES Corporation and Chairman, AS/COA

Andrés Gluski was appointed chairman of Americas Society/Council of the Americas in October 2015. He was named President and CEO of the AES Corporation in 2011.

Under his leadership, AES has become one of the leading renewables and clean technologies companies in the world...

Susan Segal

President and CEO, Americas Society/Council of the Americas

Susan Segal was elected president and CEO of the Americas Society and Council of the Americas in August 2003 after working in the private sector with Latin America and other emerging markets for over 30 years. A passionate supporter of Latin America, she joined the organizations...

Eric Farnsworth

Vice President, AS/COA, Washington

Eric Farnsworth leads the Washington office of the Council of the Americas and the Americas Society with a passion for promoting the importance of the Western Hemisphere for U.S. economic, security, and strategic interests. A recognized expert, he maintains an important policy...