During COA's 40th Washington Conference, Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Lawrence Cannon discussed Canada's engagement in the Americas and regional economic integration, saying, "Protectionism is the single biggest threat to a thriving­­­ global economy, and free trade is the only viable alternative to protectionism."

View photos from the Council of the Americas' 40th Annual Washington Conference on the Americas, held May 12, 2010, at the Department of State.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, opening speaker at the 40th Annual Washington Conference on the Americas, talked about the primacy of hemispheric issues on the Obama administration's agenda. She stressed three priority areas for U.S.-Latin American cooperation: trade and energy partnerships, public security, and inequality and immigration.

Speaking at COA's 39th Washington Conference, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton recognized that democratic elections are now the norm in the Western Hemisphere and argued that the next step is to address social inequality.

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg outlined the Obama administration’s new approach to the Americas, which rests on two pillars: democratic governance and inclusive prosperity. As part of this, the United States “has a responsibility to exercise responsible leadership.”

Canada’s Minister of the Environment Jim Prentice delivered remarks emphasizing the twin needs of reaching a multilateral climate change agreement while keeping an eye to warding off protectionism. In particular, he warned against “trade protectionism in the name of environmental protectionism.”

Addressing the 39th Washington Conference, the OAS secretary general talked remarked that the Fifth Summit of the Americas demonstrated a commitment to a common agenda and to tackling difficult tasks in the coming months.