The Road to the IX Summit of the Americas
The Road to the IX Summit of the Americas
Washington diplomats discussed the process leading up to the 2021 Summit hosted by the United States and the importance of collaboration between governments in the region.
Speakers:
- James Lambert, Ambassador and Secretary for Hemispheric Affairs, OAS
- Hugo de Zela, Ambassador of Peru to the United States
- Kevin O'Reilly, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Western Hemisphere Affairs, U.S. Department of State
- Maria Conte, Action Director, Summit of the Americas Secretariat
- Steve Liston, Senior Director, COA, Washington, D.C. (moderator)
Council of the Americas hosted a virtual meeting to lay out the road ahead to the IX Summit of the Americas that the United States will host in 2021, following the VIII Summit hosted by Peru in 2018, which resulted in the Lima Commitment on Democratic Governance Against Corruption. Ambassador James Lambert stressed that the Summit is not just an event, but a process of ongoing discussions among governments supported by the Joint Summit Working Group of multilateral institutions. Peru’s Ambassador Hugo de Zela noted that active collaboration of Western Hemisphere governments will be needed in shaping that Summit agenda, highlighting that the Lima Commitment is having an impact on the global anti-corruption agenda. And Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Kevin O’Reilly, representing the host country, encouraged businesses to “jump into the debate” as the United States works to develop the agenda.
