Speaking at COA's Washington Conference, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, U.S. Senator Robert Menendez, Colombian Vice President Francisco Santos, and Mexico's Finance Secretary Agustín Carstens joined others in discussing policy issues affecting the hemisphere.

At the opening reception for the 39th Washington Conference on the Americas, the Council honored U.S. Representative Eliot Engel (D-NY) with the Chairman's Award for Leadership in the Americas. Read a summary of his remarks and listen to the audio of his acceptance speech.

At the opening reception for the 39th Washington Conference on the Americas, the Council honored U.S. Representative Elliot Engel (D-NY) with the Chairman's Award for Leadership in the Americas. Read his remarks.

"The calculus is simple: if we can’t get it right with Mexico, our closest Latin neighbor both literally and figuratively, we’ll have trouble with the rest of our hemispheric agenda," writes COA's Eric Farnsworth in an article for Poder.

Leading up to the Summit of the America, AS/COA Miami hosted a panel discussion on prospects for trade and integration in Latin America. At a time of financial crisis and a tendency toward protectionism, speakers agreed there is a need to consider a broader agenda for growth across the Western Hemisphere.

Mexico’s former undersecretary for international trade negotiations looks at how free trade can help Latin America to reignite economic growth.

"Generally unpopular in Washington, trade is now an orphan," write COA’s Eric Farnsworth and Michelle Morton for Poder magazine. “Pending trade agreements manifestly in the U.S. interest are languishing.” Solutions to jump-start the ailing hemispheric economy include conclusion of a trans-Pacific trade agreement.