REPORT | January - June 2022
1) U.S. - Mexico Bicentennial Framework Action Plan 2022-2024 (01.31.22) Learn more
Institutional context -In October 2021, the United States and Mexico created the Bicentennial Framework for Security. Building on past security cooperation efforts, this Framework establishes a long-term approach for binational actions to pursue the safety and security of both societies.
U.S. - Mexico Bicentennial Framework Action Plan 2022-2024 - On January 31, 2022, high-level officials from both governments met at the Foreign Ministry, in Mexico, to discuss and publicize the Action Plan under which the Bicentennial Framework will operate for the next three years. The Action Plan is driven by the mutual interest in security and in bringing to justice the criminal groups that illegally traffic arms and drugs in the region, threatening the safety and health of the citizens.
2) U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate visit to Mexico (02.09.22) Learn more
Institutional context -The United States Special Presidential Envoy for Climate is a position in the Executive Office of the United States President with authority over energy policy and climate policy within the executive branch. This position is currently held by John Kerry.
U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate visit to Mexico - On February 9, 2022, Kerry visited Mexico City to meet with President López Obrador, Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard and other high-level officials of the Mexican government. This meeting follows up on the ongoing diplomatic dialogue that positions the fight against climate change as one of the foreign policy priorities for the North American region.
3) Chief Officer for North America visit to the U.S. (02.16.22)
Institutional context - The Chief Officer for North America is a public position within the Mexican Foreign Ministry. The Chief Officer is in charge of leading Mexico's foreign policy for the United States and Canada..
Chief Officer for North America visit to the U.S. - On February 16, 2022, the Chief Officer for North America, Roberto Velasco, concluded his working visit to Chicago, home to one of the largest Mexican communities in the United States. Accompanied by Consul General, Reyna Torres Mendivil, the officials held meetings with local authorities, officials and elected officials, in addition to visiting the Consulate General of Mexico and the University of Chicago.
4) U.S. Undersecretary for Economic Growth, Energy and the Environment visit (02.28.22) Learn more
Institutional context - The High Level Economic Dialogue (HLED) focuses on advancing economic and trade priorities to promote economic growth, job creation, and global competitiveness for both nations.
U.S. Undersecretary for Economic Growth, Energy and the Environment visit - On February 28, the Chief Officer for North America, Roberto Velasco Álvarez, met with the Undersecretary for Economic Growth, Energy and the Environment of the United States, José W. Fernández, at the Foreign Ministry. Among the topics discussed were three themes that are part of the first pillar of the HLED: rebuilding together.
5) Mexican Secretary of Foreign Affairs visit to U.S. (03.08.22) Learn more
Institutional context - The Secretary of Foreign Affairs is responsible for implementing the country's foreign policy. The secretary is appointed by the President of Mexico to lead the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and is a member of the federal executive cabinet.
Mexican Secretary of Foreign Affairs visit to U.S. - Mexico’s Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Marcelo Ebrard, concluded a working visit, on March 8th, in the city of Los Angeles, California. He held meetings with public officials, business-men and women, and leaders of the Mexican community. He also met with the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce and members of its board of directors.
6) Chief Officer for North America visit to D.C. (03.12.22) Learn more
Institutional context - The Chief Officer for the North America Unit is a public position within the Mexican Secretariat of Foreign Affairs. The Chief Officer is in charge of leading Mexico's foreign policy for the United States and Canada.
Chief Officer for North America visit to D.C. - On March 12, 2022, The Chief Officer for North America, Roberto Velasco Álvarez, concluded a three-day working visit to the capital of the United States to follow up on various issues on the bilateral agenda. Together with Ambassador Esteban Moctezuma Barragán, meetings were held with U.S. authorities to strengthen dialogue on supply chains, cooperation in health, migratory flows, border infrastructure, and cooperation towards the Summit of the Americas to be held in Los Angeles, California, in June of this year.
7) Secretary of Homeland Security visit to Mexico (03.14.22) Learn more
Institutional context - The United States Secretary of Homeland Security is the head of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The Secretary is a member of the Cabinet of the United States, and the position was created by the Homeland Security Act following the attacks of September 11, 2001.
Secretary of Homeland Security visit to Mexico - On March 14th, the U.S. delegation, led by the Secretary of Homeland Security, Alejandro Mayorkas, visited Mexico City. The meeting was held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the delegations exchanged data and information on the most recent irregular migratory flows in the region. Both delegates agreed on the importance of moving forward with a regional approach to migration, in order to observe orderly, safe and regular migration flows in order to protect the human rights of migrants.
8) U.S. CBP Commissioner first work tour (03.22.22) Learn more
Institutional context - The Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is a leadership position that ensures the effective operations of CBP’s mission to protect national security while promoting economic prosperity. The Commissioner directs CBP’s three core missions, counterterrorism, border security, and trade enforcement.
U.S. CBP Commissioner first work tour - On March 22, the American delegation led by the newly appointed commissioner of the CBP, Chris Magnus, visited Mexico City. Magnus chaired this meeting along with Ambassador Ken Salazar. The meeting was held at the Foreign Ministry, and the delegations discussed the priorities to advance the work to modernize border infrastructure, deal with human trafficking, as well as to attend to migratory flows.
9) Binational investment and infrastructure projects (03.23.22)
Institutional context - The High Level Economic Dialogue (HLED) between the United States and Mexico is a binational mechanism of dialogue created in 2013 by Presidents Barack Obama and Enrique Peña Nieto. This mechanism is directed at advancing economic and trade priorities to promote economic growth, job creation, and global competitiveness for Mexico and the United States.
Binational investment and infrastructure projects - On March 23, the Chief Officer for North America, Roberto Velasco, visited, together with the Director of Border Affairs for North America, Pablo Gálvez de Yturbe, important binational investment and infrastructure projects on the northern border, which are part of the objectives of the HLED.
10) Mayor of Dallas first visit to Mexico (03.29.22) Learn more
Institutional context - Today, the Texas-Mexico relationship is essential to the economic well-being of communities on both sides of the border, including the broader Texan economy and the aggregate U.S. economy. Of the 49 commercial roadway crossings along the U.S.-Mexico border, 28 are located in Texas. Texas-Mexico trade is projected to grow 234% to reach 1.5 trillion USD by 2050.
Mayor of Dallas first visit to Mexico - Foreign Secretary, Marcelo Ebrard, and Chief Officer for North America, Roberto Velasco, received the Mayor of Dallas, Eric Johnson, on his first international tour, on March 29th. At the meeting they highlighted the economic and cultural ties that bind this North Texas city with Mexico. The officials followed up on their previous meeting in the city of Dallas to discuss comprehensive issues.
11) U.S. Undersecretary for Labor visit to Mexico (04.04.22) Learn more
Institutional context - The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) contains a labor chapter (Chapter 23) that prioritizes labor obligations by including them in the core of the agreement and making them fully enforceable. This is a major change from NAFTA, which only contained a side agreement on labor.
U.S. Undersecretary for Labor visit to Mexico - On April 4th, the Chief Officer for North America, Roberto Velasco, received the U.S. Undersecretary of Labor, Julie Su, and her team for a bilateral meeting. At the meeting, the delegations highlighted the binational broad agreement to guarantee labor rights in both countries, work for fairer and more equitable societies and, above all, deepen North American labor integration through the implementation of bilateral and trilateral mechanisms, such as the USMCA.
12) 11th Meeting of the IBWC Follow-up Group (04.27.22) Learn more
Institutional context - The International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC) was established in 1889, and has responsibility for applying the boundary and water treaties between the United States and Mexico, and settling differences that may arise in their application.
11th Meeting of the IBWC Follow-up Group - On April 27th, the 11th Binational Meeting of the IBWC Follow-up Group was held at the headquarters of the Mexican Foreign Ministry. During the meeting officials discussed urgent measures for water conservation in the Colorado River basin, which has been affected by a drought for 20 years and is currently at worrying levels of runoff and storage.
13) Bicentennial Framework main achievements (04.27.22) Learn more
Institutional context - In October 2021, the United States and Mexico created the Bicentennial Framework for Security. Building on past security cooperation efforts, this Framework establishes a long-term approach for binational actions to pursue the safety and security of both societies.
Bicentennial Framework main achievements - On April 27th, the Mexican delegation, led by Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard and the Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection, Rosa Icela Rodríguez, met at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with the United States delegation, which was led by Ambassador Ken Salazar. The meeting aimed to publicize the main results and progress under the Bicentennial Framework signed last year, as well as to launch the Mexico-United States Binational Committee to follow up on binational objectives and actions in a coordinated manner.
14) U.S. Department of Homeland Security delegation visit to Mexico (05.11.22) Learn more
Institutional context - The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is the U.S. federal executive department responsible for public security. Its mission involves anti-terrorism, border security, immigration and customs, cyber security, and disaster prevention and management.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security delegation visit to Mexico-On May 11th, a delegation from the U.S. DHS was received at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to discuss challenges and opportunities for bilateral cooperation towards orderly, safe and regular migration. The U.S. delegation, led by Acting Deputy Secretary of DHS, Blas Nuñez-Neto, provided an update on the current migration landscape.
15) Strategic Border Infrastructure Forum (05.12.22) Learn more
Institutional context - The governments of Mexico and the U.S. are investing to modernize the border infrastructure through technology that could help stop the transfer of weapons, fentanyl and money by improving the customs system. The Strategic Border Infrastructure Forum is a binational mechanism through which both nations discuss pathways, opportunities and challenges in pursuing this modernization.
Strategic Border Infrastructure Forum - Foreign Secretary Marcelo Ebrard and United States Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar led the Strategic Border Infrastructure Forum on May 12th. The meeting took place in Tijuana, Baja California, and aimed to promote the work carried out by both countries to modernize the existing infrastructure and build new ports of entry. This will contribute to the economic growth of the cities on the border strip of both countries.
16) 9th Summit of the Americas (06.07.22 - 06.10.22) Learn more
Institutional context - In 1994, Former U.S. President Clinton convened the 1st Summit of the Americas with the goal of promoting economic growth and prosperity throughout the Americas based on shared democratic values and the promise of increased trade and commerce to improve the quality of life for all peoples. The Summit has taken place approximately once every three years since it first took place, and is the only meeting of all leaders from the countries of North, South, and Central America and the Caribbean.
9th Summit of the Americas -The Ninth Summit of the Americas took place in Los Angeles from June 7–10, 2022.This was the first time the United States has hosted the Summit since the inaugural meeting in Miami, in 1994. The priorities and concerns during the Summit included: the COVID-19 pandemic and the cracks it exposed in health, economic, educational, and social systems; threats to democracy; the climate crisis; and a lack of equitable access to economic, social, and political opportunities that places a heavy burden on the most vulnerable and underrepresented among us.
