COUNCIL OF THE AMERICAS INC

IN 2023, COUNCIL OF THE AMERICAS HOSTED IN-PERSON, HYBRID, AND VIRTUAL HIGH-LEVEL PROGRAMS WITH AUDIENCES ACROSS THE UNITED STATES, CANADA, AND LATIN AMERICA TO FOSTER DIALOGUE ON REGIONAL ISSUES. THE COUNCIL CONTINUED TO FULFILL ITS MISSION BY STRENGTHENING HEMISPHERIC TIES THROUGH BOTH PUBLIC FORUMS AND PRIVATE MEETINGS, AS WELL AS THROUGH ITS ONLINE CONTENT SUCH AS PODCASTS, EXPLAINERS, POLL TRACKERS, AND A GUIDE TO 2023 LATIN AMERICAN ELECTIONS. IN 2023, COA'S PROGRAMMING COVERED A WIDE RANGE OF THEMES, INCLUDING SUSTAINABILITY, TECHNOLOGY, ANTI-CORRUPTION EFFORTS, REGIONAL RELATIONS WITH THE UNITED STATES, ELECTIONS IN LATIN AMERICA, TRADE, AND ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL PROSPECTS IN THE AMERICAS. THE ORGANIZATION LIVESTREAMED 17 PROGRAMS IN 2023.THROUGH ITS SIGNATURE LATIN AMERICAN CITIES CONFERENCES, COA COHOSTED AND CONTINUED TO OFFER AN UNPARALLELED PLATFORM FOR PUBLIC AND PRIVATE EXCHANGES WHERE TOP GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, BUSINESS LEADERS, AND INVESTORS DISCUSSED SOME OF THE MOST PRESSING ISSUES FACING THE REGION. HELD IN PERSON, THE CONFERENCES FOCUSED ON CHILE, THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, ARGENTINA, COLOMBIA, BRAZIL AND PERU. THEY FEATURED KEYNOTE REMARKS AND PANEL DISCUSSIONS ON TOPICS SUCH AS EXAMINING POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC OUTLOOKS IN THE CONTEXT OF SUSTAINABILITY, CREATING OPPORTUNITIES FOR TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION, AND BOOSTING ECONOMIC ACTIVITY THROUGH FOREIGN INVESTMENT. PROMINENT SPEAKERS AT THE CONFERENCES INCLUDED MINISTERS, GOVERNORS, AMBASSADORS, SENIOR REPRESENTATIVES FROM MULTILATERAL ORGANIZATIONS, CEOS, AND LEADING ENTREPRENEURS AND INNOVATORS. AMONG THE TOP OFFICIALS FEATURED AT THE 2023 LATIN AMERICAN CITIES CONFERENCES WERE THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC'S PRESIDENT LUIS ABINADER; DOMINICAN REPUBLIC'S VICE PRESIDENT RAQUEL PENA; COLOMBIA'S MINISTER OF FINANCE AND PUBLIC CREDIT RICARDO BONILLA; EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF AMCHAM COLOMBIA MARIA CLAUDIA LACOUTURE; CHILE'S MINISTER OF FINANCE MARIO MARCEL; CHILE'S MINISTER OF SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, KNOWLEDGE AND INNOVATION AISEN AMELIA ETCHEVERRY; CEO OF PRIME ENERGIA CHILE JOSE AROSA; CEO OF FALABELLA GASTON BOTAZZINI; BRAZIL'S MINISTER OF JUSTICE AND PUBLIC SECURITY FLAVIO DINO; BRAZIL'S PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE RODRIGO PACHECO; U.S. AMBASSADOR TO BRAZIL ELIZABETH F. BAGLEY; ARGENTINA'S FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE AND CURRENT SECURITY MINISTER PATRICIA BULLRICH; ARGENTINA'S FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE AND FORMER ECONOMY MINISTER SERGIO MASSA; ARGENTINA'S THEN-PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE AND CURRENT PRESIDENT JAVIER MILEI; PERU'S PRESIDENT DINA BOLUARTE; AND PERU'S MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS JAVIER GONZALEZ-OLAECHEA.IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE PUBLIC LATIN AMERICAN CITIES CONFERENCES, THE COUNCIL ORGANIZED AND COHOSTED SEVERAL INVITATION-ONLY ELITE EVENTS TO CONVENE LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL CORPORATE MEMBERS AND GUESTS WITH SENIOR HEMISPHERIC OFFICIALS AND BUSINESS LEADERS FOR INTIMATE, OFF-THE-RECORD PROGRAMS. THESE PROGRAMS PROVIDE AN IDEAL SETTING FOR COA'S MEMBERS AND CONSTITUENTS TO ENGAGE WITH INVITED GUESTS ON INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES AND CRITICAL HEMISPHERIC ISSUES. AS PART OF THE PRESIDENTS OF THE AMERICAS SERIES, COA COHOSTED PROGRAMS FOR LATIN AMERICAN HEADS OF STATE FOR AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON THEIR COUNTRIES' INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES AND CURRENT ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL ENVIRONMENTS. IN 2023, COA COHOSTED PRIVATE IN-PERSON PROGRAMS WITH CHILE'S PRESIDENT GABRIEL BORIC; PARAGUAY'S PRESIDENT SANTIAGO PENA; PERU'S PRESIDENT DINA BOLUARTE; SURINAME'S PRESIDENT CHAN SANTOHKI; GUYANA'S PRESIDENT IRFAAN ALI AND ECUADOR'S FORMER PRESIDENT GUILLERMO LASSO. FOR OVER 50 YEARS, THE COUNCIL OF THE AMERICAS' ANNUAL WASHINGTON CONFERENCE ON THE AMERICAS HAS BEEN THE PREMIER EVENT ON THE REGION, BRINGING TOGETHER PRESIDENTS, SECRETARIES AND MINISTERS, AND THE MOST SENIOR LEADERS FROM THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTORS. IN 2023, THE 53RD ANNUAL WASHINGTON CONFERENCE ON THE AMERICAS, OUR PREMIER EVENT ON THE REGION, TOOK PLACE ON MAY 2 AT THE ORGANIZATION OF THE AMERICAN STATES. FEATURED SPEAKERS INCLUDED SECRETARY GENERAL, ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAS STATES LUIS ALMAGRO; U.S. SENATOR BILL HAGERTY; U.S. DEPUTY SECRETARY OF ENERGY DAVID TURK; ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE, WESTERN HEMISPHERE AFFAIRS BRIAN NICHOLS; U.S. SENATOR BILL CASSIDY; U.S. TRADE REPRESENTATIVE KATHERINE TAI; PRESIDENT OF THE INTER-AMERICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK ILAN GOLDFAJN; MINISTER OF FOREIGN TRADE, COSTA RICA, MANUEL TOVAR; PRESIDENT, THE WORLD BANK GROUP DAVID MALPASS; AND MINISTER OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE, EXPORT PROMOTION, SMALL BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, CANADA, MARY NG. THE CONFERENCE RECEIVED 70 MEDIA MENTIONS THROUGHOUT THE REGION.ON NOVEMBER 8, 2023, COA HELD THE 53RD ANNUAL WASHINGTON CONFERENCE ON THE AMERICAS KEYNOTE LUNCHEON AT THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE. INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND MANAGING DIRECTOR KRISTALINA GEORGIEVA SPOKE ABOUT TRADE, INVESTMENT GROWTH AND DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE IN LATIN AMERICA.IN 2023, COA CONTINUED THE COA SYMPOSIUM AND BRAVO HYBRID SERIES. THE SERIES' CONVERSATIONS AND PANELS REFLECTED THE MOST RELEVANT AND NEWSWORTHY MATTERS IMPACTING BUSINESS IN THE REGION AND THE WORLD, AND CENTERED ON TOPICS SUCH AS HOW FINANCIAL TECHNOLOGIES ARE AIDING INCLUSION AND RECOVERY EFFORTS IN LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN; HOW ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL, AND GOVERNANCE STANDARDS ARE INFLUENCING LONG-TERM BUSINESS STRATEGIES; THE ROLE OF BUSINESS IN CROSS-REGIONAL GROWTH AND RECOVERY AND THE FUTURE OF WORK IN LATIN AMERICA; AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR LATIN AMERICA TO LEVERAGE DIGITAL DEVELOPMENTS IN ORDER TO TACKLE THE REGION'S MAIN CHALLENGES. NOTABLE BRAVO LEADERSHIP CONVERSATION SPEAKERS INCLUDED CO-FOUNDER AND CEO OF POMELO GASTON IRIGOYEN; VICE PRESIDENT, CLIMATE ACTION, SALESFORCE, TIM CHRISTOPHERSEN; HEAD OF SUSTAINABILITY AND DECARBONIZATION, ECOPETROL SANTIAGO MARTINEZ OCHOA; MANAGING SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, CORPORATE DEVELOPMENT & STRATEGIC INITIATIVES, CITY NATIONAL BANK OF FLORIDA WILLIAM C. DAVIES; HEAD OF LATAM, SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENT GROUP, BANK OF AMERICA THIAGO FERNANDES; AND HEAD OF HUMAN RESOURCES, MICROSOFT LATIN AMERICA MARCELO FUMASONI.IN 2023, THE 28TH COUNCIL OF THE AMERICAS SYMPOSIUM AND BRAVO BUSINESS AWARDS, HELD IN PERSON IN MIAMI, CELEBRATED EXCELLENCE AND LEADERSHIP WHILE BRINGING TOGETHER THE MOST FORWARD-THINKING LEADERS. THE 2023 HONOREES - PIX, COMMANDER, U.S. SOUTHERN COMMAND GENERAL LAURA J. RICHARDSON, CMPC'S FRANCISCO RUIZ-TAGLE, AND GRUPO MARIPOSA'S LUIS MIGUEL CASTILLO - EACH REPRESENT HOW TRUE LEADERSHIP AND PASSION ARE THE DRIVERS OF CHANGE, SOCIAL IMPACT, AND BUSINESS SUCCESS, EVEN AS THE WORLD FACES UNPRECEDENTED CHALLENGES. IN 2023, COA'S SIGNATURE CEO ROUNDTABLES GATHERED A SELECT GROUP OF REGIONAL CEOS WHO SHARED HURDLES AND BEST PRACTICES, AND WHO BRAINSTORMED SOLUTIONS. COA'S CFO SERIES ENGAGED CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICERS AND OTHER SENIOR FINANCE EXECUTIVES FROM THE TOP MULTILATINAS AND MULTINATIONAL CORPORATIONS WITH BUSINESSES IN THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE.COUNCIL OF THE AMERICAS ALONG WITH AMERICAS SOCIETY CONTINUES TO ADVANCE THE MISSION OF THE WOMEN'S HEMISPHERIC NETWORK (WHN), AN INITIATIVE THAT ENCOURAGES YOUNG PROFESSIONAL WOMEN TO STAY IN THE WORKFORCE AND REACH LEADERSHIP POSITIONS. THE NETWORK WAS LAUNCHED IN OCTOBER 2012 AT A NEW YORK WORKSHOP FEATURING THEN-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF UN WOMEN MICHELLE BACHELET AND FORMER FIRST LADY OF MEXICO MARGARITA ZAVALA. IN 2023, THE WHN HELD IN-PERSON AND VIRTUAL CONVERSATIONS AND CONFERENCES WITH BUSINESS LEADERS, CENTERING ON THEMES SUCH AS RESILIENCE, CONFIDENT INVESTING, AND SUPPORTING WOMEN IN STEM. THE WHN FORUM IN MIAMI INCLUDED A DISCUSSION ON PROMOTING FEMALE LEADERSHIP, A PANEL DISCUSSION ON WOMEN AS PIONEERS AND PATH MAKERS IN COMPETITIVE FIELDS, AND A WORKSHOP ON HOW EXECUTIVE PRESENCE DRIVES CAREER SUCCESS. DURING THE WHN CONFERENCE IN MEXICO CITY, PRIVATE- AND PUBLIC-SECTOR LEADERS GATHERED TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE CHALLENGES PROFESSIONAL WOMEN FACE IN THE WORKFORCE AND EXPLORE THE WAYS DIFFERENT SECTORS OF SOCIETY CAN CONTRIBUTE TO BUILDING A MORE INCLUSIVE MEXICO. AT THE WHN CONFERENCE IN NEW YORK, BUSINESS LEADERS SHARED THEIR PERSONAL STORIES AND PERSPECTIVES ON WHAT WORK-LIFE BALANCE MEANS AND THE IMPORTANCE OF MENTORSHIP AND SPONSORSHIP IN THE ASPIRATIONAL ROAD TOWARDS LEADERSHIP POSITIONS.