- The importance of including a gender perspective was stressed; the empowerment of indigenous peoples was included as a theme in the Partnership.
- For the second time, the Mexican and Canadian members of the Youth Laboratory participated in the meeting.
The 18th Annual Meeting of the Mexico-Canada Partnership (MCP) was held yesterday in Ottawa, Canada. The event, organized by Global Affairs Canada, was chaired by the Assistant Deputy Minister for the Americas, Michael Grant. Mexico was represented by the Chief Officer for North America, Roberto Velasco.
At the meeting, Assistant Deputy Minister Grant said that the annual meetings are an example of the strength of the bilateral relationship. He commended the Youth Laboratory for its interest in adding the voice of youths to the various groups that are part of the Alliance.
Roberto Velasco said that the Partnership brings together key actors in the bilateral relationship to discuss the priorities for both countries, from protecting our forests to labor mobility. He placed special emphasis on including the empowerment of indigenous peoples as a cross-cutting theme of the Mexico-Canada Partnership because it is a historical responsibility.
“Today's work will be the foundation of the upcoming meeting between President López Obrador and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the 10th North American Leaders' Summit," he said.
Six working groups met over the course of the day: Forestry; Environment; Culture and Creativity; Human Capital; Mining; and Foreign Policy. In these meetings, the co-chairs discussed the groups' progress and agreed on a new work agenda for 2023.
Following up on past years’ commitments, the two sides reaffirmed the importance of including a gender perspective in the agendas of the working groups. The two governments agreed to include a new bilateral commitment: the empowerment of and cooperation with indigenous peoples.
At this 18th meeting and for the second consecutive time, the Mexican and Canadian members of the Youth Laboratory were included. This adds the perspective of new generations to the various working groups. The initiative, developed by the embassies of both countries, encourages youths to participate in priority issues that are of common interest for the bilateral relationship.
The Mexican delegation also included Arturo Hernández Basave, Chargé d'Affaires at the Mexican Embassy in Canada, and the Foreign Ministry's Political Affairs Coordinator for North America, Cristina Planter.
