“Need, not politics, will guide our decisions,” said the Secretary of State about U.S. efforts to ensure vaccines are distributed globally.

“Our trade policy must take a fundamentally different approach,” said the U.S. trade representative, saying her office needs to focus on giving workers a seat at the table.

Now Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, the congressman said Western Hemisphere affairs will be “on the front burner of my agenda.”

U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas detailed how to his department is promoting "international exchange and economic vitality."

Julie Chung, acting assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere Affairs, opened the annual conference, alongside AS/COA’s Susan Segal and Eric Farnsworth.

“We will not make significant progress if corruption in the region persists,” said the vice president.