Throughout 2014, our coalition of organizations held a series of four U.S.-Mexico Regional Economic Competitiveness Forums in order to engage border region stakeholders in a process to collectively generate a shared vision and policy recommendations to strengthen economic competitiveness. The effort involved the partnership of several organizations—the Border Legislative Conference (BLC), the Council of State Governments West (CSG West), the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars' Mexico Institute, the North American Research Partnership, several members of the Congressional Border Caucus, and USAID-Mexico—and took us to San Diego/Tijuana, Nogales/Nogales, El Paso/Ciudad Juárez, and Laredo/Nuevo Laredo. 

The Woodrow Wilson Center's Mexico Institute hosted the launch of the report drawn from this effort, The U.S.-Mexico Border Economy in Transition. This report lays out the major issues involved in border region economic development, compiles the many innovative ideas developed at the forums, and weaves them into a series of policy recommendations that draw on the experiences of those who understand the border best: the individuals who live in border communities and who cross back and forth between Mexico and the United States as a part of their daily lives. 

Download the report here.

Agenda

Welcome: 
Duncan Wood, Director, Mexico Institute, Wilson Center

Introduction:
Diputada Imelda Guadalupe Alejandro De La Garza, Border Legislative Conference Chair and member, Nuevo León State Legislature

Representing the Border: Bringing the Voice of the Border to Washington: 
Representative Henry Cuellar, 28th District of Texas
Representative Beto O'Rourke, 16th District of Texas
Representative Juan Vargas, 51st District of California

Remarks:
Elizabeth Hogan, Acting Assistant Administrator for the Latin America and Caribbean Bureau, USAID

Report Launch:
Edgar Ruiz, Executive Director, Council of State Governments-West
Christopher Wilson, Senior Associte, Mexico Institute, Wilson Center
Erik Lee, Executive Director, North American Research Partnership

Bilateral Efforts to Strengthen Border Competitiveness: The High Level Economic Dialogue and 21^st Century Border:
Antonio Ortiz Mena, Head of Section for Economic Affairs, Embassy of Mexico in the United States
Sue Saarnio, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, Department of State
Moderator: Christohper Wilson, Senior Associate, Mexico Institute, Wilson Center

A live webcast will be available. 

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