North Capital Forum

The idea of North American economic integration has exhibited considerable resilience over the last three decades. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the deep economic interdependence as well as some areas of opportunity to strengthen regional supply chains. The panel “Convocation: Strengthening The Trilateral Relationship” focused on the strategic alignment of the North American economies and labor mobility featuring the perspective of former American, Mexican, and Canadian Ambassadors.

Affiliate: Convocation/USMF

Speakers:

• Geronimo Gutierrez - Former Ambassador of Mexico to the US

• Pierre Alarie - Former Ambassador of Canada to Mexico

• Christopher Landau - Former Ambassador of the USA to Mexico

• Dionisio Perez-Jacome - Former Ambassador of Mexico to Canada

Moderator: Gabriela Warkentin, Journalist

North America has the potential to become an economic powerhouse. Still, the region faces many challenges, such as systemic inequalities, a suboptimal migration regime, and an inefficient allocation of resources across borders. The panel "Solving North America’s Productivity and Competitiveness Challenges" analyzed some of the current and historical economic policies to develop proposals on how to improve North American competitiveness and increase productivity, such as the migration policies, structural institutional reforms, and labor capacities in the face of fierce global competition.

Affiliate: Harvard Growth Lab

Speakers:

• Valeria Moy - IMCO

• Santiago Levy - Brookings

• Ernesto Stein - BID Representative Mexico

Moderator: Dany Bahar - Harvard Growth Lab

Refugees and asylum seekers enrich local communities by fostering diversity, increasing economic activity, and bolstering innovation. The panel “Refugee contribution to the economy of hosting countries in North America” addressed the efforts of Mexico, the United States, and Canada to promote socio economic inclusion of refugees. In addition, the panel discussed success stories with business leaders, and analyzed the positive impact refugees have on host societies and their economies.

Affiliate: UNHCR/ACNUR

Speakers:

• Giovanni Lepri - UNHCR Mexico

• Rema Jamous Imseis - UNHCR Canada

• Matt Reynolds - UNHCR United States and the Caribbean

• Pablo Moreno - Mabe

• Daniella Alexandra Bustamante - Refugee Nurse

Moderator: Alexandra Haas - Oxfam Mexico

US Ambassador to Mexico, Ken Salazar, and Emilio Cadena (Former Chair of the Board USMF, and CEO at Prodensa) talked about the main opportunities and challenges in the bilateral relationship between the United States and Mexico, he stated that as in any relationship, there is always the good and the bad, but the role the U.S.-Mexico Foundation has been playing in these past few years, is part of the good and it helps bring the two countries together.

The most important topics in the bilateral agenda include democracy, economy, energy, climate change, migration, security, among others. And with these issues, there will be many disagreements, but the most important thing to do is to learn to deal with them, and use the proper mechanisms to work together to find solutions.

Co-Chairs are chosen based on their business, academic and/or social trajectory, and the impetus they have given to the relationship between Mexico, the United States and Canada.

The NCF22 Co-Chairs were:

• Blanca Treviño, CEO and Founder of Softtek (Mexico)

• Monica Lozano, Board Member of Target, Apple and Bank of America (USA)

• Anne McLellan, Former Deputy Prime Minister (Canada)