Presidents of the Americas joined world leaders for the annual UN General Assembly (UNGA). Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva opened debate, calling for a 2012 environmental conference in Rio. Chilean President Michelle Bachelet made the case for her nation to hold a UN Human Rights Council seat and President Evo Morales of Bolivia proposed the UN convene a forum for indigenous peoples. AS/COA hosted several Latin American leaders, including Bachelet and Morales, during the week of UNGA.

As the U.S. presidential campaign gets underway, AS/COA takes stock of public vs. private political party financing across the Americas. Television advertising is the largest campaign expenditure, but many countries provide a minimum of free TV and radio time. 

During an August summit of North American leaders in Canada, the North American Competitiveness Council (NACC)—a trilateral council of business leaders representing the private sectors of Canada, Mexico, and the United States—offered recommendations on border-crossing facilitation, standards and regulatory cooperation, and energy integration. To download the report, click here. For more about the NACC, click here.

Founded in 1948, the Mexico-US Business Committee (MEXUS) is the oldest bi-national private sector business organization with a focus on economic, commercial, and political relations in North America.