The Future of the U.S. - Mexico Bilateral Relationship
In January 2020, the U.S.-Mexico Foundation and the Wilson Center's Mexico Institute brought together 12 former Ambassadors from the bilateral relationship to engage in intensive and strategic dialogue concerning the future of U.S.-Mexico relations. This discussion is reflected in the report titled "Convocation: A Vision for a Stronger U.S.-Mexico Partnership" (read more here).
Please join the Phoenix Committee on Foreign Relations and the U.S.-Mexico Foundation for a talk on the key findings from the Convocation report with Martha Bárcena Coqui, former Mexico Ambassador to the U.S. (2019-2021), Gerónimo Gutiérrez Fernandez, former Mexico Ambassador to the U.S. (2017-2018) and Christopher Landau, former U.S. Ambassador to Mexico (2019-2021). Our presenters will also discuss the implications of the future of the U.S.-Mexico bilateral relationship for Arizona. Arizona has strong economic and cultural ties with Mexico. Just in 2019, 35% of all Arizona imports came from Mexico, and 34% of all exports went to Mexico. Arizona jobs related to trade connected to Mexico make up 27%. Enrique Perret of the U.S.-Mexico Foundation will moderate the discussion.
Registration
FREE for PCFR Members
$10 for Non-Members
Schedule
Tuesday, May 4, 2021
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm MST
4:00 pm - 5:00 pm EDT
Venue
Zoom Meeting
The link for this webinar will be included in your registration confirmation email.
Panelists
Amb. Martha Bárcena Coqui
Former Ambassador of Mexico to the United States
Martha Bárcena served ambassador of Mexico to the United States from 2019 to 2021. She joined the Mexican Foreign Service in 1979, and has been the Consul in Barcelona (1989-1990); Ambassador to the Kingdom of Denmark, non-resident to the Kingdom of Norway and the Republic of Iceland from December 2004 to April 2013; Ambassador to the Republic of Turkey, non-resident to Georgia and the Republics of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan from May 2013 to March 2017; and Permanent Representative of Mexico to the United Nations Agencies based in Rome from April 2017 to December 2018.
In the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bárcena has been Technical Secretary of the III LAC-EU Summit (2003-2004); Adviser to the Undersecretary for Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, and the United Nations, specialized in international security and peacekeeping operations (2000-2003); Deputy Director of the Planning and Prospective Division (1998-2000) and Advisor to the Executive Director of the Mexican Institute of International Cooperation, as well as the Director in Chief of Multilateral Affairs, and the Director-General of Cultural Affairs and Historical Diplomatic Acquis (1986- 1989). She was also Head of the Department of Migrant Workers and Border Cooperation in the General Directorate for North America.
Ambassador Bárcena has been Mexico’s delegate to the UN, the OAS, UNESCO, FAO, WFP, IFAD, and ICAO, as well as head of Delegation in sessions of the Forum on Migration and Development. She has participated in multiple international conferences, including the G-20 and the World Humanitarian Summit.
Ambassador Bárcena has a degree in Communication Sciences, graduated from the Universidad Iberoamericana, Mexico City, and a degree in Philosophy, summa cum laude, from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. She holds a Master’s Degree in International Studies (Diplomatic School, Spain) and has a Master’s Degree in Philosophy specializing in Political Philosophy (Universidad Iberoamericana).
Amb. Gerónimo Gutiérrez Fernandez
Former Ambassador of Mexico to the United States
Ambassador Gerónimo Gutiérrez Fernandez was appointed Ambassador of Mexico to the United States from 2017 to 2018. Gutiérrez Fernandez served as Managing Director of the North American Development Bank (NADB) headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, where his professional activity was focused on infrastructure development and financing along the U.S.-Mexico border.
In 2009 and 2010, he served as Deputy Secretary for Governance and Homeland Security. He served as Under Secretary for Latin America and the Caribbean in the Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores (State Department) from 2006 to 2009 and as Under Secretary for North America from 2003 to 2006. Gutierrez has also held federal government positions as Under Secretary of Governance in the Secretaría de Gobernación (Interior Ministry), Secretaría de Economía (Commerce Department), Secretaría de Hacienda y Crédito Público (Treasury Department), the Office of the President, and Banobras (Mexico’s national public works bank).
Ambassador Gutiérrez holds both a B.A. in Economics and a B.A. in Political Science from the Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México (ITAM) and a Master’s in Public Administration from Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.
Amb. Christopher Landau
Former Ambassador of the United States to Mexico
Christopher Landau served as United States Ambassador to Mexico from 2019-2021. He was born in Madrid, Spain, and attended the American School of Asunción, Paraguay, for five years. Landau is a Director of the Diplomacy Center Foundation, which supports the United States Diplomacy Center at the United States Department of State.
Landau earned his Bachelor of Arts in history, summa cum laude, from Harvard College in 1985, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa his junior year, and received the Sophia Freund Prize for the highest grade point average in his graduating class. He wrote his senior thesis, which was awarded the Hoopes Prize, on United States relations with the leftist government of Venezuela in the mid 1940s. He received his Juris Doctor, magna cum laude, from Harvard Law School in 1989, where he was articles co-chair of the Harvard Law Review and won the Sears Prize for the highest grade point average in his second year.
After graduating from law school, Landau clerked for then-Judge Clarence Thomas of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. He later clerked for Associate Justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas of the Supreme Court of the United States during the 1990 and 1991 terms, respectively.
In 1993, Landau joined Kirkland & Ellis as an associate, and became a partner in 1995. He was chairman of the firm’s appellate practice until he left after 25 years to join Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan in 2018. He has argued nine cases before the U.S. Supreme Court, including two on behalf of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and has briefed and argued appeals in all of the U.S. Courts of Appeals.
From 1994-1995, Landau was an adjunct professor of administrative law at the Georgetown University Law Center. In 2017, the Chief Justice of the United States appointed him to the Advisory Committee on the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure. He is a Trustee of the United States Supreme Court Historical Society, and Chair of the Society’s Programs Committee.
Moderator
Enrique Perret
Director of the U.S.-Mexico Foundation
Enrique Perret is the Director of the U.S.-Mexico Foundation (USMF) since December 2018.
Enrique has a history of deep commitment to the US-Mexico bilateral relationship. He is a former government professional with a strong track record of leading government engagement and business development strategies between Mexico and the U.S. Before joining the USMF, Enrique most recently served as a Director for North America at ProMexico, Mexico's trade promotion agency, where he worked for more than ten years in several positions.
Enrique also has a strong commitment to civil society endeavors and has served in leadership roles on a number of nonprofit boards including, serving as Chair of the Board of Enseña por Mexico, Teach for All’s Mexican affiliate, an organization dedicated to leadership development and promoting a better education for all.
Other previous responsibilities in the Mexican government include being the Technical Secretary for Competitiveness, and Chief of Staff to the President of the CNBV (Banking and Securities Commission).
Enrique holds a Bachelor Degree in International Commerce from Instituto Tecnológico de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, and a Master Degree in Economics and Government from Universidad Anáhuac. He also has completed executive courses at Harvard University, Wharton School and SMU.
About the U.S.-Mexico Foundation:
The U.S.-Mexico Foundation (USMF) is a binational non-profit organization that is dedicated to fostering bilateral cooperation and understanding between the United States and Mexico. We started operations in 2009 with seed funds from the David & Lucile Packard Foundation, Carnegie Corporation and the Business Foundation in Mexico (Fundemex).
USMF executes its mission in two different ways: operating programs and promoting constructive dialogue on key topics of binational interest.
