Canada-Mexico Partnership - 2022 Annual Report

Table of contents

• Part 1: Message from the National Co-chairs
• Part 2: Profile and 2022 Institutional Report
• Part 3: Youth Lab recommendations
• Part 4: Reports of the Working Groups
  • Agri-business
  • Creativity and Culture
  • Environment
  • Foreign Policy
  • Forestry
  • Human Capital
  • Mining
  • Trade, Investment and Innovation

Part 1: Message from the National Co-chairs

As National Co-chairs, it is an honor to present the 2022 Annual Report of the Canada-Mexico Partnership (CMP). For eighteen years, the Partnership has provided our countries with a mechanism for consistent political coordination through multistakeholder dialogue, decision-making, and implementation. The Partnership continues to be a foundation upon which we can strengthen our bilateral relationship in key areas and develop strategies to increase our economic competitiveness.

We are grateful for the adaptability of the CMP, which has allowed continued dynamic cooperation on a variety of issues regardless of changes at the political level. The flexibility of the CMP allows our countries to reflect the evolving priorities of the stakeholders, thereby encouraging extensive participation and innovative policymaking. This is best exemplified by the creation of the Foreign Policy Working Group (FPWG) at the 18^th Annual Meeting of the CMP last year. Since its creation, the FPWG has met three times, including at this year’s Annual Meeting, and has developed a Canada-Mexico Action Plan. This Action Plan provides a blueprint for expanding the depth and breadth of the Canada-Mexico bilateral relationship along several key pillars, including Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples, gender equality and women’s empowerment, trade and investment.

The 2022 Annual Report presents an exhaustive compilation of results from the 18^th Annual Meeting of the Canada-Mexico Partnership. On November 24, 2022, six Working Groups held their respective sessions: Creativity and Culture; Environment; Forestry; Human Capital; Mining, and Foreign Policy. The Trade, Investment, and Innovation WG met on December 2, while the Agribusiness WG and Energy WG, by agreement of both delegations, decided to hold their meetings at a later date. During these sessions, the co-chairs of each Working Group reviewed the achievements made during 2022 and advanced the collaborative priorities in each of the topics of mutual priority interest.   

We want to thank all the Working Groups for the tangible results they seek to deliver year after year and for their strategic vision to achieve more goals and formulate new objectives over the next year. The Canada-Mexico Partnership remains vitally important and continues to benefit from the contributions of the provinces and states, civil society, academia, and the private sector. We reiterate our sincere request that all the Groups include a gender perspective in their work plans for 2023 to contribute to building a relationship between our countries that recognizes and reduces inequalities. We also encourage all Working Groups to hold regular meetings to advance on shared priorities. Finally, we have no doubt that 2023 will be as or even more successful than previous years in the strengthening of the Canada-Mexico bilateral relationship. 

Part 2: Profile and 2022 Institutional Report

The CMP was launched in 2004 by the governments of Canada and Mexico as a bilateral initiative to promote public and private cooperation. It involves participants from the Canadian and Mexican governments, business sectors, non-governmental organizations, and other stakeholders. Eight Working Groups met within the framework of the CMP 2022, whose goal is to enhance collaboration in their respective sectors of interest. While each Working Group operates autonomously during the year, all CMP members gather for an annual meeting, which is hosted on an alternating basis by each country. The previous meeting was organized by Mexico in a hybrid manner (face-to-face and virtual) on November 25, 2021.

Although the CMP involves a wide spectrum of actors from different government departments, the general coordination and management is jointly led by Global Affairs Canada (GAC) and the Mexican Secretariat of Foreign Affairs (SRE). The national Co-chairs are the Assistant Deputy Minister for the Americas at GAC and the Chief Officer for North America at the SRE.

From the beginning, the CMP was designed as a flexible entity, subject to ongoing revision and adjustment to best reflect the changing dynamics and priorities of our respective governments and societies. For instance, one of the acquired commitments during this edition was the creation of a Foreign Policy Working Group which will have as its main priority the broadening of the bilateral relationship towards a more integral, progressive and comprehensive vision as strategic actors for the efficient and effective functioning of the North American structure.

Ongoing revitalization and revision of the CMP is consistent with successful past practices and can further stimulate synergies and innovation, streamline Working Groups, and achieve greater involvement from various stakeholders, including state/provincial authorities, representatives from non-governmental organizations and academia.

Working Groups and Activities of the CMP

The activities of the Working Groups of the CMP define the efforts of the Partnership as a whole. Each Working Group is co-chaired by Canadian and Mexican senior governmental officials from the relevant ministries and secretariats. Currently, the nine Working Groups are:

• Agri-businesss
• Creativity and Culture
• Energy
• Environment
• Foreign Policy
• Forestry
• Human Capital
• Mining
• Trade, Investment and Innovation

Canadian Working Groups co-chairs are from the following institutions:

• Global Affairs Canada (GAC)
• Natural Resources Canada (NRCan)
• Canadian Forest Service (CFS)
• Agriculture and Agri-food Canada (AAFC)
• Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC)
• Canadian Heritage (PCH)
• Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA)

Mexican Working Groups co-chairs are from the following institutions and agencies:

• Secretariat of Foreign Affairs (SRE)
• Mexican Agency for International Development Cooperation (AMEXCID)
• Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT)
• Secretariat of Energy (SENER)
• Secretariat of Economy (SE)
• Secretariat of Culture (SC)
• Secretariat of Agriculture and Rural Development (SADER)
• National Forestry Commission (CONAFOR)
• National Agricultural Council (CNA)
• The Mexican Business Council on Foreign Trade, Investment and Technology (COMCE)

Annual Meetings of the CMP

Mexico and Canada alternate hosting duties each year. The Annual Meetings serve as a focal point for the reorientation of the activities of the Working Groups and, at the same time, present the opportunity for the co-chairs to analyze the achievements, efficiency and future course for their collaborative efforts. The main objective of each Annual Meeting is to adopt and promote a strategic vision, as well as a work plan aligned with the priorities of the bilateral agenda.

Occasionally, some Working Groups hold joint meetings in order to share experiences, build partnerships, and identify and develop cross-cutting projects. The CMP also promotes the participation of other stakeholders in the Annual Meetings, including academic and private sector leaders from both countries and from the Canadian provinces and Mexican states, which in the past has led the participation of representatives from Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Chihuahua, Jalisco, Morelos, and the State of Mexico.

Overall, the Annual Meeting serves as a space to highlight the impact of this Partnership on the bilateral relationship, in which all participants can exchange views, experiences and best practices. Furthermore, it provides a networking stage for all its members. The Canada-Mexico Partnership is the most important mechanism to promote the bilateral relationship.

The CMP has held the following Annual meetings:

1. Ottawa, Ontario - 25 October 2004
2. Vancouver, British Columbia - 30 September 2005
3. Mexico City, F.D. - 7 March 2007
4. Kanata, Ontario - 4-5 March 2008
5. Jiutepec, Morelos - 23-24 March 2009
6. Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario - 19-20 April 2010
7. Mexico City, F.D. - 7-8 April 2011
8. Ottawa, Ontario - 29-30 May 2012
9. Mexico City, F.D. - 8-9 July 2013
10. Calgary, Alberta - 8-10 September 2014
11. Mexico City, CDMX - 25-26 November 2015
12. Ottawa, Ontario - 23-24 December 2016
13. Mexico City, CDMX - 23-24 November 2017
14. Ottawa, Ontario - 11-12 October 2018
15. Mexico City, CDMX - 27-28 November 2019
16. Canada (Virtual) - 26 November 2020
17. Mexico City, CDMX (Hybrid) - 25 November 2021
18. Ottawa, Ontario (Hybrid) - 24 November 2022

Part 3: Youth Lab recommendations

During the 2022 annual meeting, four members of the 2022 cohort of the Canada-Mexico Youth Lab presented three recommendations on the following topics: the overall bilateral relation, the digital future, and on the horizontal theme of Indigenous empowerment and cooperation. Recommendations included:

• Creating a year-long program for students and professionals that would include components for education, work placement, mentoring, and networking,
• Creating an expert series between both embassies on various digital topics, and
• Creating digital and public spaces for Indigenous Peoples to raise awareness of issues through a series of short videos and podcasts centered on inter-culturalism and Indigenous Peoples.

All members of the Youth Lab had the opportunity to participate in the working sessions of a Working Group of their choice, among the Working Group that agreed to include them.

Part 4: Reports of the Working Groups

Agri-business Working Group

Introduction and objectives 

The Agri-Business Working Group (ABWG) 2022 meeting was held on April 27^th, 2023, and was hosted by Canada (in-person) and co-chaired on the Canadian side by Keith Currie, President of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA) and Kathleen Donohue, Assistant Deputy Minister (ADM), Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC). On the Mexican side the meeting was led by Patricia Toledo, Vice-President of Sustainability, National Agricultural Council (CNA) and Sustainability Director at Syngenta, and by Santiago Arguello, General Coordinator, Agriculture, Mexico’s Secretariat of Agriculture and Rural Development (SADER). This year’s meeting included the addition of a dialogue between Canadian and Mexican Indigenous producers. A separate report on this portion of the program is attached in Annex A.

Both countries highlighted the importance and complementary nature of the bilateral relationship and the importance of the ABWG to strengthen ties between Canada and Mexico, especially in areas of mutual interest (e.g., voluntary Product of United States of America labelling). The importance of science-based decision-making, technology and sustainability as key tools to increase yields and productivity was also touched on. Canada and Mexico also shared concerns related to labour shortages and food security. Reference was also made to the work under the ABWG framework where both countries have exchanged information on sustainability, optimization of soil, water and genetic resources.

Four overarching themes were discussed:

1. Opportunities and challenges of trade flows
2. Domestic and international initiatives related to pesticides
3. Environment and food security
4. Labour

Outcomes 

Theme 1: Opportunities and Challenges of Trade Flows

Voluntary Product of USA (vPUSA) labelling for meat, poultry, and egg products

Canada and Mexico shared concerns about the new vPUSA initiative which could disrupt supply chains, increase food prices, and potentially have unintended consequences on animal welfare and food security. Canada and Mexico are advocating for the U.S. to consider the adverse impacts of the initiative on extensive integrated North American supply chains. Both the Canadian and Mexican cattle industries shared their concerns and flagged this as a high priority issue given the significance of the North American beef supply chain (largest in the world). All parties agreed on the need to advocate against this initiative collectively and in a complementary manner. Canadian and Mexican governments are preparing official comments tobe submitted by the U.S.’s June 11^th, 2023 deadline.

Potential U.S. seasonality restrictions on imported produce

CNA raised ongoing concerns with potential seasonality restrictions imposed by the U.S. on imported produce. A safeguard investigation by the United States International Trade Commission (USITC) concluded in February 2021 that imports of Mexican fresh or frozen blueberries do not cause serious injury, or the threat of serious injury, to the U.S. domestic industry. In June 2021, the USITC also issued a report informing that Mexico is competitive in the production and export of raspberries without currently allocating subsidies for it. Mexican industry called for ongoing collaboration between the Mexican and Canadian governments on this file as Mexico still feels vulnerable to these types of potentially disruptive actions that U.S. produce growers (particularly in Florida) are taking.  Canada is monitoring the situation and potential impacts on trade. 

Theme 2: Domestic and International Initiatives Related to Pesticides

Canada noted its appreciation for Mexico’s transparency during the March 31^st, 2023 Technical Consultations under the CUSMA, as well as the decision to re-visit previously rejected biotech events. Nonetheless, Canada noted that there are still concerns that Mexico’s February 13^th, 2023 Presidential Decree creates unpredictability for producers and that the measures impact Canadian producers who use innovative production tools to help ensure food security and to combat climate change. Canadian industry provided a presentation highlighting the benefits of innovations science-based (e.g., plant breeding and pest control) which have allowed Canada to adapt no-till and conservation tillage practices, expand production by 50% and reduce pesticide use by 35%. Canada is committed to reaching net zero emissions by 2050 and flagged that a predictable global trading environment is important for food security.

Mexico noted that the Decree is a matter of domestic public policy. SADER also provided a presentation and said it is leading a working group that is engaging directly with farmers to better understand their specific glyphosate requirements. Through this process, the Mexican government has reduced the amount of approved imports of formulated glyphosate from 18,000 tons in 2021 to 4,000 tons in 2023. Other methods being explored to reduce the use of glyphosate include sustainable soil management and the use of coverage crops. The Mexican government continues research alternatives to glyphosate and made it clear that any alternative must be cost-efficient and support Mexico’s agriculture production demands. If no feasible alternative is found, the implementation date to discontinue the use of glyphosate may be revised / delayed.  SADER said the February version of the Decree clarifies that restrictions on genetically modified (GM) corn only apply to imports of white corn for human consumption for the tortilla and tortilla dough (masa) sectors. GM corn will continue to be allowed for industrial use and animal consumption and imports have not been disrupted because of the Decree.

Mexican industry noted its support for innovation and said that while trade has not been disrupted to date, it encourages science-based decision making. CNA underscored the importance of continued information exchange on the issue, raising the need for growers to use these kinds of technologies considering their safety. Canadian industry expressed some concern that this Decree may eventually shift to other crops.

Theme 3: Environment and Food Security

Canada and Mexico are taking similar approaches to tackle environment and food security challenges via a national strategy under the sustainability agenda.

A key priority of the Canadian government is to ensure the agriculture sector remains competitive, sustainable and innovative by building climate resiliency and strengthening food security. Canada presented AAFC’s national sustainable agriculture strategy which is being developed in consultation with an advisory committee of 21 industry stakeholders to tackle sustainability and improve environmental performance over the long-term by focusing on five priorities: soil health, climate adaptation, resilience, water and biodiversity. Canada has set ambitious environmental goals (net zero emissions by 2050 and fertilizer emissions reduction target of 30% from 2020 levels by 2030) and aims to increase agricultural productivity while being mindful of biodiversity. Farmers are the front line of mitigating climate change, but practices must balance economic, social and environmental pillars. Canada also referenced the series of webinars that the Embassy of Canada in Mexico has organized with SADER about intercropping practices and living labs as an example of positive collaboration.

Mexico’s domestic policy prescribes pubic-private collaboration regarding climate change, including on soil health and biodiversity. SADER has also developed a strategic plan related to climate change in agriculture as well as a national soil strategy and manuals for biodiversity, water management, improving production costs as well as a national seed plan. CNA’s key areas of focus include environment care, food security, inclusion, regenerative agriculture, and healthy ecosystems. Within these areas, the CNA is focusing on three main objectives: 1) a common front with the federal government to contribute to achieve a more sustainable farming aligned with ODS goals 2) an active sustainability agenda, considering regenerative practices, innovation, carbon footprint measures, and strategic alliances; and 3) showcasing a different perception of the agri-food industry (common narrative). The CNA highlighted the importance of adapting technologies, soil health and biodiversity, mindset change with growers and value chain, technology complementarity and mechanization of small growers.

Theme 4: Labour

Labour shortage continues to be a critical issue in Canada and the Seasonal Agriculture Workers Program (SAWP) has supported the country’s horticulture industry since it was established in 1966. The SAWP has provides an income boost to foreign workers and is a venue for knowledge transfer and a platform for foreign workers to come to Canada. Mexico said that in 2023 Mexico expects 26,000 workers to be hired by Canadian companies and attributes $370 million generated in income through this program.

Jenn Wright, Executive Director, Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council, delivered a presentation about the National Workforce Strategic Plan for Agriculture and Food and Beverage Manufacturing sector. Canada is taking a united approach to addressing chronic labour and skills shortages which are causing crisis across agriculture and food and beverage manufacturing sector. Finding long-term solutions calls for a united approach from industry, communities, academia and government. The national Workforce Strategic Plan for Agriculture and Food and Beverage Manufacturing sector aims to create a national, actionable roadmap that will address labour gaps and systematic issues. AAFC is developing a complimentary National Agricultural Labour Strategy and National Skills Table.

Mexico also shares concerns related to the impacts labour shortages. Significant efforts are being dedicated by Mexican industry (e.g., avocado sector) to avoid using child labour in the fields and to raise awareness about labour rights to help deter forced labour. In May 2023, Mexico will complete its transition to a new model of labour justice and the first anniversary of the entry into force of the Mexican labour reform is coming up. It allows for the employment of young people between ages of 16 and 18 in the agriculture sector (low-risk activities and government program: Jovenes Construyendo el Futuro (Youth Building the Future)). Mexico is also working on a Mandatory Official Standard (NOM) for workers in the agriculture sector with objectives such as: increasing the competitiveness of the agriculture sector, shielding companies from labor risks, and improving quality of life for agricultural workers, of which there are approximately 2 million in Mexico.

Commitments

Overall, Canada noted the following commitments coming out of the Agri-Business Working Group Meeting.

1. Government co-chairs expressed interest in aligning the timing of the Agri-Business Working Group (ABWG) with the Canada-Mexico Partnership cycle. Despite having held the most recent ABWG meeting (2022 edition) at the end of April 2023, co-chairs will endeavour to meet again in Mexico in November 2023.
2. Canadian and Mexican industry participants expressed interest in continued exchanges on labour challenges in our respective agriculture sectors. Canadian government and industry are offering to help facilitate exchanges on this theme via the North American Agriculture Advisory Network (NAAAN).
3. Canadian and Mexican government co-chairs expressed interest in continued exchanges on best practices for a sustainable agriculture sector. AAFC and the Embassy of Canada in Mexico will continue to facilitate such exchanges through the organization of webinars on topics of mutual interest.
4. To continue to explore ways of connecting Canadian and Mexican indigenous producers, sharing best practices and facilitating trade and exports between the two countries. This could include virtual business to business (B2B).

Participants

Canada

Canadian Industry

• Brodie Berrigan, Director of Government Relations and Farm Policy, CFA
• Jenn Wright, Executive Director, Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council
• Ken Forth, President of F.A.R.M.S. (Foreign Agriculture Resource Management Services)
• Erin Gowriluk, Executive Vice-President, Canada Grains Council
• Ian Affleck, Croplife
• Luis Luque, Croplife

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC)

• Sophie Beecher, Director General, Sustainable Development Policy Directorate, Strategic Policy Branch
• Holly McCoubrey, Director, Market Access Secretariat (MAS), Americas, IAB
• Anne-Marie Croux, Deputy Director, MAS, Americas, IAB
• Sara Browne, Senior Trade Policy Analyst, MAS, Americas, IAB
• Chris Anderson, Deputy Director, MAS

Canada’s Trade Commissioners to Mexico

• Francis Lindsay, Counselor (Agriculture and Agri-Food)
• Nataliia Melnychenko, Technical Specialist, Canadian Food Inspection Agency
• Alejandro Ruiz, Trade Commissioner (Agriculture and Agri-Food)

Global Affairs Canada (GAC)

• Shirley Liang, Deputy Director, Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures
• Natalie Doust, North American Bureau
• Katelyn Larabie, Technical Barriers and Regulations

Mexico

Mexican Industry

• Fernando Mayer, CNOG (National Cattlemen Association)
• Rogelio Perez, Mexican Beef
• Norberto Valencia, CNA’s Director of Foreign Trade
• Patricia Toledo, Syngenta and CNA’s Vice-president on Sustainability

Mexican Government

• Javier Calderon, Head of SENASICA
• Adriana Muñoz Cruz, Chief of the General Directorate of Value Added Products and Markets
• Mirna Aragón Sánchez, Chief of the General Directorate of Agriculture Development
• Briegel Ortiz, Agriculture Specialist, International Economics, SADER

Embassy of Mexico in Canada

• Raul Vargas, Economic Affairs and Press,
• Mónica García Izaguirre, Multilateral and Cooperation Issues,

Annex A

Report: Canada-Mexico Indigenous program and exchange

April 26^th – April 27^th, 2023

A Canada-Mexico Indigenous side program took place on the margins of the 2023 Agri-Business Working Group meeting. The main purpose of the program was to create an opportunity for an exchange of experiences and ideas between Indigenous producers of the two countries by way of a dialogue which took place on April 27^th. 

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) and Mexico’s Secretariat of Agriculture and Rural Development (SADER) both have mandates to ensure Indigenous communities and producers are fully included in the sector. Canadian and Mexican governments expressed a keen interest in learning from Indigenous groups, particularly given that their approach to production combines both traditional and scientific knowledge. SADER/Arguello noted that approximately 23.2 million Mexicans are from Indigenous communities. He said many rural communities consider themselves protectors of Mexico’s biodiversity and natural land. Canada and Mexico acknowledged the historic debt owed to their respective Indigenous communities. Mexico’s President has instructed SADER to scale up opportunities for trade with these groups and develop to grant priority to indigenous groups within Mexican programs. ADM Donohue noted that sustainability and innovation are key factors in agriculture and involve Indigenous farmers.

In advance of the dialogue, on April 26^th, Mexican participants had the opportunity to display their products and share information about them at a tabletop exhibition during a reception that was hosted by the Embassy of Mexico in Canada for Canadian and Mexican government officials as well as representatives from Canadian agriculture and agri-food industry associations.

Participants also had a chance to visit the Mikinàk Ceremonial Lodge on the Experimental Farm and have an informal exchange with AAFC staff working on Indigenous programming and initiatives.

At the dialogue, participants shared information about their communities, the history of their companies, their products, market, plans, commercialization models, etc. The dialogue encouraged fulsome discussion and the participants had the opportunity to learn from each other’s experiences, insights and best practices. Climate change and pest control were some of the common challenges identified among indigenous producers. Producers of the following commodities were represented: agave, mescal, vanilla, coffee, cacao, herbal teas, and produce grown with vertical farm technology.

The Indigenous producers also participated in a workshop about Canadian labelling requirements and enjoyed various additional networking opportunities (i.e. guided tour of Museum of History and networking supper with Canadian and Mexican government officials).

This event provided an excellent opportunity for Indigenous producers to exchange information, showcase their products, network with Trade Commissioners and other government and industry officials. AAFC will be taking stock of the event in order to determine how to best follow up on this initiative and perhaps expand the commercial focus AAFC and SADER with the support of the Embassy of Canada in Mexico and the Embassy of Mexico in Canada, will explore opportunities to connect Indigenous exporters with buyers (promotional event participation, virtual B to B).

Creativity and Culture Working Group

Introduction and objectives 

On Thursday November 24, 2022, the Creativity and Culture Working Group (CCWG) held its Annual Meeting in a virtual format with Canada as the nominal host. The Canadian delegation was led by Ms. Christine Angelo, Director of International Trade Operations, Department of Canadian Heritage (on behalf of Madona Radi, Director General of International Trade Branch, Canadian Co-chair of the Working Group). The Mexican delegation was chaired by Dr. Pablo Raphael de la Madrid, Director General of Cultural Promotion and Festivals and Head of the General Directorate of International Affairs of the Mexican Ministry of Culture (Mexican Co-chair of the Working Group).

More than 40 participants were present from both countries including the Canada-Mexico Youth Lab, which reflects the interest of both countries in future collaborations through cultural cooperation. The Canadian delegation was represented by officials from the Department of Canadian Heritage, Global Affairs Canada (GAC), the Embassy of Canada in Mexico, the Prime Minister's Youth Council of Canada, the National Gallery of Canadian Art, Canada Media Fund, Telefilm Canada, National Film Board of Canada, and Canada Council for the Arts.

The Mexican delegation was made up of officials from the Ministry of Culture (Secretaria de Cultura) from the following areas: Digital Culture Center, the National Fund for the Promotion of Crafts (FONART), the Mexican Institute of Cinematography (IMCINE), the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), the National Institute of Fine Arts and Literature (INBAL), the Creative Mexico Initiative, the System of Support for Cultural Creation and Projects (SACPC) and the Legal Affairs Unit; as well as, representatives from the Secretariat of Foreign Affairs (SRE), and the Embassy of Mexico in Canada.

The Annual Meeting provided an opportunity for the participants to present on topics they are working on in their areas of expertise, to identify areas of future collaboration between the two countries and proposals for activities to be included in the existing Action Plan, which was agreed to be taken up again after the Annual Meeting.

The areas of common interest to guide the work in 2023 were the following: diversity of content online; promotion and protection of Indigenous arts and culture; regulatory framework for the protection and promotion of Indigenous cultural expressions, MONDIACULT, Indigenous cinema; artisan sector; artistic residencies; proposals of the Canada-Mexico Youth Lab; and the strengthening of human capital and markets for the creative economy in Canada and Mexico.

Outcomes 

Federal Law for the Protection of the Cultural Heritage of Indigenous Peoples and Afro-Mexican Communities of Mexico.

• Mexico, through the Legal Affairs Unit of the Secretariat of Culture, shared that in January 2022, with the approval of the aforementioned Law, an important process was generated for the community of Indigenous and Afro-descendant peoples in Mexico who had suffered a series of plagiarism by some fashion companies and the clothing industry that had a formal acceptance of these bad practices.
• This law recognizes the collective rights of Indigenous peoples and communities over their cultural heritage and seeks to highlight and respect local conceptions regarding the protection, preservation, and development of the authorship of local production of fabrics, textiles and cultural expressions from a broad perspective of human rights, gender and non-discrimination.
• This law helps to establish a dialogue between peers, that is, between positive law and Indigenous normative systems, as well as the uses and customs of their creations.
• The challenge is to understand the following elements:
  • Recognize and guarantee the property rights of Indigenous and Afro-Mexican peoples and communities over the elements that make up their cultural heritage, their traditional knowledge and cultural expressions, as well as the collective intellectual property over such heritage. Highlighting the dialogue exercises, in that sense, Mexico highlighted that such dialogues between trademarks and victims of plagiarism have been promoted by the federal Secretariat of Culture.
  • Promote respect for and development of the cultural heritage of Indigenous and Afro-Mexican peoples and communities, as well as recognize the diversity of its elements. Mexico noted that Canada has been very respectful of the cultural heritage of its Indigenous peoples.
  • To establish provisions so that, in the exercise of their self-determination and autonomy, Indigenous and Afro-Mexican peoples and communities may define, preserve, protect, control, and develop the elements of their cultural heritage, knowledge and traditional cultural expressions.
  • To recognize the Afro-Mexican Indigenous peoples and communities as subjects of public law, in the terms established in national and international legislation on the matter.
  • Regarding commercialization, it was mentioned that there is an authorization process that, without being so complex, consists of generating and building a bridge between the community and institutions. In Mexico, there is the Inter-Secretarial Commission of the Protection System, made up of experts from institutions such as the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), the General Directorate of Indigenous and Urban Popular Cultures (DGCPIU) of the Secretariat of Culture, the Secretariat of Foreign Affairs (SRE), among others that on the authorizations for the commercialization, the following is sought: to exercise in full respect to the rights, dignity and integrity of the patrimony; to credit the place of origin; it must be onerous, temporary and in writing (up to 5 years extendable); it must stipulate the fair and equitable distribution of benefits; it must be celebrated before the Executive Secretariat of the National System of Protection and the National Institute of Indigenous Peoples (INPI).

Experiences of Accompanying the Protection of Collective Rights from the National Folk Art Program

• Mexico, through the General Directorate of Indigenous and Urban Popular Cultures (DGCPIU) of the Ministry of Culture, pointed out that national and foreign companies have copied and reproduced elements and designs from the heritage of Mexico's Indigenous, Afro-Mexican and mestizo peoples, which represents a practice of misappropriation, generating economic and social impacts that weaken Mexico's cultural diversity.
• To justify plagiarism, designers of large companies have mentioned that they are inspired by artisans and that they pay tribute to them and recognize their creativity.
• Since 2008 there have been documented cases of plagiarism to these communities, so the DGCPIU has initiated various monitoring mechanisms on this issue. Through the strategy "Proyecto Editorial: Geometrías de la Imaginación, diseño e iconografía" (Editorial Project: Geometries of the Imagination, design, and iconography), the registration of these designs has been sought, not only in textiles, but also in ceramics, wood and various folk-art creations, and Mexico highlighted that there are 17 records from 17 states.
• There are more than 60 documented cases of how major brands have plagiarized heritage iconography without consulting the creators or giving them the credit, they deserve.
• Cultural misappropriation is a lack of respect for work and culture, since it strips designs and symbols of their meaning and the techniques with which they were created; it violates cultural identity and disadvantages artisanal work and affects the livelihood of many families and communities by depriving them of the resources generated from their own heritage.
• The DGCPIU has promoted the protection of collective rights through forums, meetings, conferences, and craft fairs, has raised awareness of the cultural value of the designs and symbols, knowledge and traditional techniques developed by indigenous, Afro-Mexican and mestizo peoples, and has made progress in the registration of the Intangible Cultural Heritage represented in the designs, symbols and techniques expressed in traditional art.
• The actions that would help protect intangible cultural heritage are the following: a) buy the original, not the copy, this promotes traditional art and Mexico's cultural diversity, b) support fair trade, c) do not bargain, since the history, knowledge and techniques involved in its elaboration give it an added cultural value that makes it unique and d) know the origin of the works.
• Canada was interested in learning more about how Mexico supports the Craft Fairs, to take it into account in the future Action Plan.
• The Canadian delegation explained that when you buy a handicraft, you are not just buying a simple object, you are buying a piece of the heart and soul of the artisan, and of the culture that makes up that object.
• In Canada we also have these problems, as well as in other parts of the world, some Canadian artistic communities have asked for legislation on this issue, the Canadian delegation asked from the Mexican point of view how progress or improvement of these problems has been seen, if people have been made aware of this and how education could be an important key point for people to understand this.
• Mexico shared that, from the ORIGINAL event of the Ministry of Culture, an approach has been sought with the original communities in the craft and textile sector, it is a space and open forum where communities engage in a dialogue, there are trainings for the generation and marketing of content, to walk from informality to formality, good practices are exchanged to support artisans. Sage Paul, artist and designer from Canada was a speaker at one of the ORIGINAL forums, which allows to continue sharing experiences and dialogues between both parties and even with international brands such as Comme des Garçons and Ralph Lauren.
• Mexico shared that from September 28 to 30, 2022; 150 ministers of culture from UNESCO member countries and the participation of other countries such as the United States met.
• As a result, a Final Declaration of global consensus was generated, which includes a series of specific principles associated with Mexico's bilateral agenda, focusing on issues such as: the protection of cultural rights, the protection of cultural heritage, the creative economy, the defense of collective rights and the future of cultural policies.
• Mexico noted the great contribution made by the multi-stakeholder project carried out by Canada prior to MONDIACULT 2022, through the International Forum on Diversity of Content Online.
• The Minister of Canadian Heritage and Multilateralism, Pablo Rodriguez, attended the meeting and took advantage of the opportunity to make progress on the issues of the bilateral agenda, which will be reflected in the Work Program of the Culture and Creativity Working Group (CCWG).
• The Canadian delegation emphasized the importance of continuing to promote culture as a common good and to respond effectively to global challenges.
• Canada shared that at the closing they joined with several countries to support a joint statement of friends of Ukraine. It is crucial for Canada to continue to make an appeal regarding Russian aggressions towards Ukraine.

Diversity of Content Online

• The Canadian delegation mentioned that this topic was worked on hand in hand with the Embassy of Canada in Mexico and the Center for Digital Culture, at the International Forum on Diversity of Content Online, June 22-23, 2022.
• One of the major global challenges of MONDIACULT 2022 that was agreed upon is the access and visibility of a diversity of content in an increasingly digital world.
• Canada shared the importance of the international guiding principles on diversity of content online, which aim to guide actions and measures that encourage greater exposure to diverse cultural content, information and news online. They apply to a diverse group of stakeholders, including governments, regulators, civil society organizations, media industry representatives and private sector companies, such as online services, whose primary purpose is to transmit or distribute content or share user-generated content online. Pablo Raphael de la Madrid, in his turn, noted that in the MONDIACULT 2022 Declaration these Principles were not mentioned but that there were several references to the recognition of diversity of online content, digital transformation in the cultural sector and digital literacy for Indigenous communities.
• México Creativo and the Centro de Cultura Digital de México expressed that the "International Forum on Diversity of Content Online: Implementation of the International Guiding Principles" was an opportunity to share the challenges and opportunities posed by the accelerated digitization of culture and information; increase our collective understanding of the Guiding Principles and how they help address these challenges; identify and discuss good practices and voluntary initiatives/actions/measures by different sectors to implement the Guiding Principles; and encourage countries, the private sector and civil society groups to support the Guiding Principles.
• The "International Forum Digitizing in Common. Distributed forms of cultural ownership and authorship", sought to value and promote the "distributed forms" of creating and safeguarding, circulating, and reproducing culture, paying attention to dimensions that go beyond the legal ones contained in "copyright" to notice the effects of distributed culture on solidarity, care, self-management, and collective reparation. With the aim of renewing a vocabulary that allows defining and claiming cultural policies not only in terms of economic productivity but also in terms of social, institutional, and technological appropriation.

Promotion and Protection of Indigenous Arts and Cultural Expressions

• The Canadian delegation stated that they have been working with Indigenous organizations and experts to assist in the search for information, engagement and joint development of effective solutions to promote and protect Indigenous arts and expressions.
• Canada commented that, according to the commitments against the misuse of Indigenous arts and cultural expressions, they may vary among Indigenous groups and communities, but certain themes are common, such as: distinctions between protections of traditional cultural expressions for modern creators, collective ownership versus protection of natural and legal persons, oral traditions versus the fixation that triggers protection, and the term of protection.
• Canada shared that since 2018, the Department of Canadian Heritage has been working with experts and artists, in order to find a way to protect Indigenous cultural and artistic expressions. Several efforts have been made to create a pilot initiative developed in conjunction with Indigenous creators from the academic perspective as well, in line with the implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNIDRIP), the Parliamentary Review of the Copyright Act, introducing new directions in the Self-Governance Agreement (SGA) negotiations and supporting Canada's work at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
• Canada has undertaken the following key initiatives: compendium on misuse and misappropriation, consultations on Indigenous peoples' arts and socio-cultural expressions, legal case studies, WIPO seminars for Indigenous peoples and communities in Canada. This is in addition to ongoing initiatives, such as a website and resource kit, an Indigenous Intellectual Property Program, CIPO Program intellectual property awareness and education initiatives, decolonization of a collection of Indigenous music, history and voices in the artists' resale right consultations.
• Mexico, through the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), shared that it seeks to incorporate the creations and creativity of Indigenous expressions in tourist and commercial markets in a less disadvantageous way.
• To address the misappropriation of Indigenous and Afro-Mexican expressions, councils of specialists have been created that can include the creators of these cultural expressions and participate in making decisions on what can be done to protect them.
• As in Canada, in Mexico, there is a tension between individual and collective rights, and not only in cultural creations, but even in the towns themselves, for example when working on the same cultural expressions and they are shared in different towns or communities.
• Recently there have been important discussions to understand how we can protect collective property, that is, collective property that does not belong to a community, nor to a single people, language, or region, and this has not been possible with the legal and regulatory frameworks.
• When we talk about traditions, dances, sacred places, we involve time, ceremonies and ritual cycles that are not easy to document and protect.
• Consultation and participation in the design and execution, evaluation, and monitoring of public action in terms of the protection of the arts and Indigenous and popular cultural traditions in general is very important; however, another challenge is that of representation, who and how is called upon to participate in public decisions, an issue that Mexico has not been able to resolve in its entirety.

Prime Minister's Youth Council of Canada

• The Canadian delegation on behalf of the Prime Minister's Youth Council shared that, since 2016, the Prime Minister recognized the importance of young people and their great contribution to cultural issues. Young people are the ones who carry culture into the future. They are the most affected by the cultural policies.
• The Prime Minister's Youth Council is a non-partisan, diverse advisory group that meets on a monthly basis. It not only gives advice but is also a voice for young people who are constantly involved in Canada's governance process.
• The Youth Council participants shared their experience regarding their membership and activities in the group, meeting with the Prime Minister and his Cabinet. The Council mentioned the importance of involving young people in political issues and decisions, because in the end they are the future. The Council members flagged the most pertinent issues to them, such as combatting racism, protecting the environment, affordable housing.

Project “ORIGINAL”

• Mexico shared that ORIGINAL is a project that takes place every year. This year there were 3 days of training, in which 7 countries took part: Argentina, Bolivia, Canada, Ivory Coast, Colombia, Palestine and Peru. There were 8 forums held, with 17 thousand views of digital presentations. Issues covered were the defense of collective rights, the fight against cultural appropriation, plagiarism to the creations of artisans and artisans of Indigenous communities.

Indigenous Curatorial Exchanges Program

• A Canadian delegate from the National Art Gallery of Canada shared that the organization is committed to taking up the issues of Indigenous decolonization, sovereignty, self-determination of peoples, to establish good relations with the Indigenous peoples of Canada in order to recognize the pressures, what indigenous peoples have gone through and the complexity of colonial institutions. The National Art Gallery is committed to collecting that information to tell the stories, the narratives of these people.
• Mexico, through the National Institute of Fine Arts and Literature (INBAL), said it has an INBAL Museum Network with 18 museums, 15 in Mexico City and 3 outside Mexico City, which are dedicated to the visual arts from the 20th century onwards.
• INBAL mentioned that curatorial methodologies have been implemented from an Indigenous or decolonizing perspective, for example: an exhibition of modern art Escucha profunda at the Laboratorio Arte Alameda, Disrupciones indígenas. Arte de los pueblos de México at the Museo del Palacio de Bellas Artes, Constelaciones de la memoria at the Museo Nacional de Arte and Hasta que los cantos broten at the Mexican Pavilion at the Venice Biennial.

Creativity and Culture Working Group Roundtable and other updates

Mexican Institute of Cinematography (IMCINE)

• IMCINE shared that, since 2019, they have managed an Indigenous and Afro-descendant film fund of Mexico and Central America for Indigenous and Afro-descendant filmmakers, called Stimulus to the audiovisual creation of Mexico and Central America for Indigenous and Afro-descendant Communities (ECAMC), so they have had several films, documentaries, animations, personal stories, already finished on themes such as the defense of principles of life and territory, denunciations of extractivism and the deep and critical reunion with the community of origin after a migratory process, which have been presented at film festivals or have been screened on film platforms.
• The ECAMC will have its 5th Call for Entries in 2023, has 3 finished feature films: Mamá, by Xun Sero, Mi no lugar, by Isis Ahumada and La espera, by Celina Yunuen, has 9 films in post-production and 46 films in production where 33 Indigenous languages are represented.
• In the state of Chiapas, in San Cristóbal de las Casas, IMCINE has a Post-production Support Center (CAPP) (La Albarrada), a project that aims to support the post-production of films made by directors of Indigenous and Afro-descendant people. Annual residencies are held there for short and feature film projects, not only providing financial support, but also follow-up and training for the authors of these works.

Progress on the Modernization of the Audiovisual Co-Production Treaty

• Mexico shared that the document is already under review by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE) to be shared with the Canadian counterpart.

National Fund for the Promotion of Arts and Crafts (FONART)

• FONART shared that it has been developing a strong momentum in the use and rescue of natural dyes in handicrafts and shared its experience of hosting a national meeting last year between artisan producers, specialists in the field of natural dyes and academics where artisans from many communities and specialists who have been promoting the use and conservation of natural dyes, such as the purple snail, indigo, and cultivation, among others, participated. As a result of the great exchange of knowledge that took place during this first event, the 2nd National Meeting of natural dyes is being planned.

System of Support for Cultural Creation and Projects (SACPC)

• The SACPC shared that this year it published the public call for international residencies, emphasizing its collaboration with the Conseil des Arts et des Lettres du Québec (CALQ) to foster exchange of Mexican artists to Canada and Canadian artists to Mexico, in order to develop projects of approximately two weeks' duration.

Exchange program between Mexican and Canadian companies in creative industries, by México Creativo.

• México Creativo would like to propose an exchange program between Mexican and Canadian companies in such sub-sectors of creative industries, as performing arts, contemporary music, audiovisual (film, TV), interactive digital media (video games), etc. in order to strengthen markets and human capital for the creative economy between both countries.
• The objective of this program is to expand the presence of these sectors and creative initiatives in the markets of both countries and to carry out a business exchange that will have an impact on capacity building and development.

Joint Binational Seminar on Metadata: Methodology, Research Topics, Technological Conditions and Legislative Developments

• The General Directorate of International Affairs of the Ministry of Culture conveyed to Canada the interest in learning about the Canadian experience in depth and understanding what Canada has done in terms of legislation in order to share it with the legislative branch.

Conclusion

• From the virtual only interaction in the past few years, Canada and Mexico are both transitioning to a hybrid way of doing business and fostering bilateral collaboration on cultural diplomacy, trade, and artist exchanges.
• The theme of this year’s CCWG meeting, Indigenous cooperation, clearly set out the priorities for the next year, which will be reflected in our Action Plan.
• Several initiatives or projects were discussed, for example:
  • Mexico’s Institute of Cinematography is inviting Canada Media Fund and Telefilm Canada to collaborate on Indigenous focused projects during the next residency at ECAMC (Stimulus to Audiovisual Creation in Mexico and Central America for Indigenous and Afro-descendant Communities) in Chiapas in June 2023.
  • FONARTE would like to work with Canadian institutions to foster sustainable industry of crafts and textiles: 1) by getting technical training; 2) knowledge transfer via workshops; 3) exchange ideas and organizing crafts expo sales. This is well aligned with Canadian Heritage efforts to better support crafts and textiles industries.
  • The National Art Gallery of Canada is looking to initiative Indigenous Curatorial Exchange with Mexico’s counterparts to share and transfer knowledge among Indigenous Artists.
  • There is also a desire to establish an event/exchange program between Mexican and Canadian companies in the performing arts, audiovisual, video games, and contemporary music sectors in 2023.
• From a Government-to-Government perspective, the Working Group meeting was an opportunity to raise the negotiation of a modernized audiovisual co-production treaty, which is moving forward.
• Both countries agreed that there are many opportunities to continue to exchange, especially on issues such as youth and Indigenous communities. Canada expressed its interest in holding the next meeting in-person.

Commitments

Federal Law for the Protection of the Cultural Heritage of Indigenous Peoples and Afro-Mexican Communities of Mexico.

• Mexico highlighted its interest in collaborating with Canada, in being allies even in collective creations, to coordinate and create an experience that can be replicated as an exemplary model between Mexico and Canada on the protection of cultural heritage.

Experiences of Accompanying the Protection of Collective Rights from the National Folk Art Program

• Canada shared that the Canadian designer who participated in ORIGINAL, Sage Paul, is interested in proposing to Mexico that a large Canadian delegation attend the next ORIGINAL, perhaps to see the possibility of Canada being a guest country.

UNESCO World Conference on Cultural Policies and Sustainable Development-MONDIACULT 2022

• During MONDIACULT 2022, several mandates for future work were discussed in common with Canada, such as: the creation of a new Sustainable Development Goal dedicated to culture, whose name will be defined after the 2030 Agenda; the creation of a permanent forum on culture that does not take place every forty years, as was the case with MONDIACULT 2022; and the preparation of a technical report for countries on common indicators.

Diversity of Content Online

• The Mexican Multisectoral Participatory Group on Diversity of Content Online for the year 2023 aims to carry out the following activities:
  • Share Canada's experience in leading the development of the International Guiding Principles for Diversity of Content Online.
  • Adapt and translate the experience of the International Multisectoral Working Group (MSWG) to the Mexican context, establishing a specific agenda for the country
  • Explore topics of specific interest to Mexico such as vulnerable groups, Indigenous languages, market creation and content monetization.
  • To outline specific lines of action to safeguard the diversity of online content as a strategy to counteract disinformation, as a means to generate healthy and enriching dialogues, and as a requirement to safeguard cultural diversity.
• Mexico emphasized that it is interested in collaborating with Canada through a first stage with a working group made up of public institutions, academia, civil society and representatives of the creative industries (representative sectors of the digital sphere that participated in the forums to give continuity to the reflection and land concrete proposals for action). The proposals of the members of this group are the following:
  • Institutions: Ministry of Economy; Mexican Institute of Cinematography (IMCINE); Film Training Centre (CCC); Mexican Institute of Radio (IMER); Federal Institute of Telecommunications (IFETEL); Cultural Center of Spain in Mexico (CCEmx); Spanish Agency of International Cooperation for Development (AECID); United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
  • Academy: Master in Aesthetics and Art of the Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla; CENTRO; Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (UAM); Tec de Monterrey; Alberto López Cuenca; Irina Vázquez; Irene Soria.
  • Civil Society: Creative Commons Mexico; Wikimedia Mexico; Red en Defensa de los Derechos Digitales (R3D).
  • Industry: Netflix; Youtube; Meta; Cinépolis.
• The topics to be developed in this working group are: Theme 1-Creation, access and visibility of diverse of online content; Theme 2-Fair remuneration and economic viability of content creators; Theme 3-Promotion of diverse and pluralistic sources of news and information, as well as resilience against disinformation and misinformation; Theme 4-Transparency of the impacts of algorithmic treatments of online content.
• Deliverables: Toolbox that will be a roadmap framed in the exercise "Routes of the cultural and creative economy in Mexico: Diversity of online content" of México Creativo and resulting documents for each session and in general, such as reports, videos, photos and materials.

Promotion and Protection of Indigenous Arts and Cultural Expressions

• To seek bilaterally an exchange of experiences in capacity building and collective participation mechanisms.
• This type of forum, the actions that have been taken in both countries will allow for a shared experience of best practices that above all recognize the effective participation of collective and individual creators.

Indigenous Curatorial Exchanges Program

• The National Art Gallery of Canada proposed to create new collaborative networks with Indigenous organizations, groups, artists, cultural communities, in order to make creative exchanges, transfer knowledge and create opportunities for Indigenous artists.
• Conduct a Canada-Mexico dialogue on the decolonization and Indigenization of cultural institutions.
• INBAL suggested three days of work "behind closed doors" and visits to different museums and work centers, as well as holding a public event between the two countries, in order to concretize next steps.

Culture and Creativity Working Group Roundtable and Other Updates

Mexican Institute of Cinematography (IMCINE):

• IMCINE shared that during MONDIACULT 2022, the Minister of Canadian Heritage, Pablo Rodriguez and his delegation, at the bilateral meeting, were invited to observe an Indigenous film residency that IMCINE will hold in June in the State of Chiapas, at CAPP. Some activities that were discussed with the Canadian side were:
  • Participation of Canadian advisors or Indigenous Canadian filmmakers in the next CAPP residency.
  • Sending people to participate in the residency and to visit what is being done at CAPP.
  • Orientation or collaboration with Canada in the 5th ECAMC Residency
  • IMCINE will contact Telefilm Canada and the Canada Media Fund to follow up on an action plan.
  • Although work is only being done in Mexico with the Indigenous and Afro-descendant community, IMCINE may design a new co-production project and define new ways for Canada to participate as well.
  • Similarly, within the framework of the ECAMC, IMCINE took up the proposal made by the Mex-Can Youth Laboratory regarding the possibility of holding a short film competition between Indigenous Canadians and the Indigenous community of Mexico and Central America.

Progress on the Modernization of the Audiovisual Co-Production Treaty

• The Mexican Ministry of Culture will send the proposal with comments by Mexico. The Canadian delegation offered to follow up by e-mail in order to achieve this negotiation.

National Fund for the Promotion of Arts and Crafts (FONART)

• FONART shared its interest in carrying out projects in the artisan sector in cooperation with Canada in three areas:
  • Technical training
  • Exchanges of knowledge and know-how in the areas of sustainable handicrafts, in the preservation of traditional techniques and materials by means of expo-sales, through virtual workshops and on-site visits.
  • Exchange of museum exhibits in venues where folk art or other handicrafts are exhibited.

System of Support for Cultural Creation and Projects (SACPC)

• The SACPC expressed its interest in continuing to collaborate and strengthen the relationship with Canada through these artistic residencies and invited the other Canadian institutions present at the meeting to collaborate.

Exchange program between Mexican and Canadian companies in creative industries, by México Creativo

• México Creativo proposed in 2023 to carry out this program of meetings between emerging Mexican entrepreneurs and consolidated Canadian companies in the areas of: performing arts, audiovisual, video games and contemporary music, adding the artisan sector and with special interest in the population of Indigenous and afro-descendant groups.

Joint Binational Seminar on Metadata: Methodology, Research Topics, Technological Conditions and Legislative Developments

• The Secretariat of Culture proposed to organize a seminar with the legislative bodies of both countries on the topic of metadata, which Canada has successfully developed, for example in the search for cultural activities, cultural managers, and the supply of cultural production on Internet search engines.

Participants

Canada

Canadian Heritage (PCH)

• Robert Crampton, Executive Director, International and Intergovernmental Affairs
• Flavie Major, Director, International and Intergovernmental Affairs
• Jocelyn Girard, Director, Film & Video Policy and Programs, Cultural Industries Branch
• Anneta Lytvynenko, Senior Trade Policy officer, ITB, Working Group’s Coordinator
• Stephan Paape, Manager, International Copyright Team, Trade Negotiations and Investments (ITB)
• Samuel Generoux, Senior Policy Analyst, International Copyright Team, Trade Negotiations and Investments (ITB)
• Fatima Abbasi, Manager, Diversity of Content Online (ITB)
• Diana Nelson, Senior Policy Advisor, International and Intergovernmental Affairs and Human Rights
• Christina Bing, Senior Policy Analyst, Audiovisual Coproduction & International, Film & Video Policy and Programs, Cultural Industries Branch

Embassy of Canada in Mexico

• Gabriel Frappier, Counsellor for Public Affairs, Education and Culture
• Ernesto Miranda, Trade Commissioner and Cultural Affairs Officer

Global Affairs Canada (GAC)

• Carrie Hage, Cultural Diplomacy Officer, Mission Support Division

National Art Gallery of Canada

• Steven Loft, Vice President, Indigenous Ways and Decolonization
• Michelle LaVallee, Director, Indigenous Ways and Decolonization
• Serge Belet, Senior Manager, Public Affairs and Partnerships

Prime Minister’s Youth Council

• Jenna Robar, Youth Council Member
• Sarah Mazhero, Youth Council Member

National Film Board

• Cecilia Ramirez, Director, Partnerships and Business Development
• Victoria Anderson-Gardner, Anishinaabe Coordinator, Indigenous Relations & Community Engagement

Canadian Media Fund

• Nathalie Clermont, Executive Vice-President, Content Strategy and Business Development

Telefilm Canada

• Marie-Claude Giroux, Advisor, Partnerships and Business Development 

Canada Council for the Arts

• Sabra Ripley, International Coordination and Partnerships Officer
  Strategy, Public Affairs, and Arts Engagement

Mexico

Secretariat of Culture

• Eréndira Cruzvillegas Fuentes, Head of the Legal Affairs Unit
• Marcela Flores Méndez, Director of the Center for Digital Culture
• Maite Málaga Iguiñiz, General Coordinator of the Creative Mexico Initiative, Sustainable Cultural Development, General Directorate of International Affairs
• Ana Laura Rojo Jiménez, Deputy Director of International Cultural Cooperation, General Directorate of International Affairs
• Sol Pérez Vallín, Liaison for Cultural Promotion and Dissemination, General Directorate of International Affairs
• Juan Carlos Gutiérrez Bonet, General Director, System of Support for Creation and Cultural Projects
• Caleb Graupner Martín del Campo, Head of the area, Cultural and Social Interaction Program and International Programs
• Amparo de Jesús Rincón Pérez, Head of Popular Art Coordination, General Directorate of Popular, Indigenous and Urban Cultures

Embassy of Mexico in Canada

• Ingrid Berlanga Vasile, Responsible for Cultural and Academic Affairs

Secretariat Foreign Affairs (SRE)

• Susana Deyanira Ocaña Miranda, Director of Cultural Agreements and Programs, General Directorate of Cultural Diplomacy
• Adriana Eunice Cruz Pérez, Consultant on Cultural Agreements and Programs, General Directorate of Cultural Diplomacy

National Institute of Fine Arts and Literature

• Mariana Munguía Matute, National Coordinator of Visual Arts (CNAV)
• Martha González Ríos, Director, Directorate of International Affairs (DAI)
• Priscila Vallejo Doblado, Academic Extension of the National School of Painting, Sculpture and Engraving "La Esmeralda", General Subdirectorate of Artistic Education and Research (SGEIA)
• Carlos González Rueda, Liaison with the General Subdirectorate for Immovable Artistic Heritage, Directorate of International Affairs (DAI)
• Gerardo Cedillo Bolaños, Technical Deputy Director, National Coordination of Visual Arts
• Paulina de la Paz Egea, Deputy Director of International Exhibitions, National Coordination of Visual Arts

Mexican Institute of Cinematography

• María Novaro, General Director
• José Miguel Álvarez, General Coordinator
• Lola Díaz González, Director of Mexican Film Promotion
• Jannike Curuchet, Deputy Director of Cultural Promotion

National Fund for the Promotion of Handicrafts

• Martha Loya Sepúlveda, Private Secretary of the General Directorate

National Institute of Anthropology and History

• Paloma Bonfil Sánchez, National Anthropology Coordinator

Environment Working Group

Introduction and objectives 

The Environment Working Group (EWG) of the Canada-Mexico Partnership (CMP) is the main mechanism for identifying areas of common interest in environmental protection and collaboration on bilateral initiatives. The EWG virtually met on November 24, 2022, with the objective of reflecting on the activities of the 2022 Work Plan including:

1. Regional Workshop on Climate Change and the Electrification of Transportation;
2. Environmental Cooperation through Trade Agreements;
3. Inclusion of Youth, Indigenous Peoples and Gender Equality; and,
4. Nature-Based Solutions to Address Climate Change.

New areas for future collaboration were also identified. The session was virtually co-chaired by Miguel Angel Zerón Cid, Head of the International Affairs Unit in Mexico’s Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT), Miguel Fragoso, Director for Bilateral Cooperation (SEMARNAT), and Jeanne-Marie Huddleston, Director General of Bilateral Affairs and Trade at Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC). The EWG welcomed over 40 participants, from across ECCC and SEMARNAT, in addition to representatives from Parks Canada, Fisheries & Ocean Canada (DFO), Mexico’s National Commission on Natural Protected Areas (CONANP), the Embassy of Canada in Mexico, and provincial representatives from Alberta.

For the coming year, the EWG discussed opportunities for collaboration under the following themes:

1. Indigenous-led Conservation, with future exchanges between Canada’s Indigenous Guardians initiatives, and Mexico’s Guardianes del Territorio program, as well as a roundtable planned to happen in Fall 2023;
2. Connecting Canadian experts on wastewater technologies with members of the Mexican Institute of Water Technology (IMTA) to share best practices in wastewater treatment. Key sectoral areas of focus could include animal waste, mining, and leaks from infrastructure;
3. Nature-based solutions to address climate change and conserve biodiversity carried out through the continuity of the workplan established under the existing Canada-Mexico memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Parks Canada and CONANP; and,
4. Co-hosting a second edition of the successful illegal trafficking workshop, potentially on sharks and stingrays, with other Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) member states.

Outcomes 

Inclusion of Youth, Indigenous Peoples, and Gender Equality 

Global Affairs Canada (GAC) and Mexico’s Secretariat of Foreign Affairs (SRE) have identified the inclusion of youth, Indigenous peoples, and gender equality as shared bilateral priorities for Canada and Mexico. The objective of this presentation was to outline these bilateral priorities and to discuss how these could be incorporated into the 2022-2023 work plan as overarching topical priorities, which would guide the next year’s work. The expected outcome was to foster engagement from youth and Indigenous Peoples across the EWG cooperation initiatives. As part of these 2023 initiatives, EWG, ECCC (Maryse Pineau, CWS) delivered a presentation discussing the overarching principles of the Guardians Initiatives in Canada, and their respective rationale. On behalf of Mexico, Victoria Monroy from CONANP delivered a presentation on the “Guardianes del Territorio” Program.

Wastewater Cooperation

Mrs. Dahlia Stein, Manager, International Clean Technology, Bilateral Programming & International Cleantech and Trade (BPICT) at ECCC presented the importance of wastewater and the broad current state of play in Canada. Likewise, Malinali Domínguez Mares of International Affairs, Institute of Water Technology (IMTA) presented the activities happening under her leadership the last year. The topic of wastewater was raised in response to SEMARNAT’s wastewater workshop proposition of last year. ECCC proposed an alternative knowledge-sharing workshop that would address a selection of the items outlined in SEMARNAT’s request, specifically on aspects from IMTA. ECCC would like to support the creation of networks and connecting IMTA’s identified wastewater treatment technology requests with experts in the field.

Nature-Based Solutions to Address Climate Change and Conserve Biodiversity

Parks Canada Agency (PCA) and the National Commission of Protected Natural Areas (CONANP) share a Memorandum of Understanding, signed in October 2019. In 2020, both entities were developing a work plan to guide their proposed cooperation. Both the PCA and CONANP provided a status update on the joint work plan and signalled priority areas in which the CMP could serve as a tool to facilitate the implementation of the work plan. Myriam Linteau, Director, Cultural Heritage Program, Parks Canada and Marina Hernández Rubio, Coordinator of Climate Change Strategies, CONANP, delivered presentations on the 2021-2022 updates and activities. Among the collaborative activities, the Parties will share best practices and knowledge on educational activities, as well as execute collaborative action projects to contribute to the common good to the solution of socio-environmental problems.

Environmental Cooperation through Trade Agreements

On March 3-4, 2021, ECCC and SEMARNAT co-led the first Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) Workshop on Combating Illegal Trade of Wildlife Species: Illegal Trade of Turtles and Tortoises. The workshop was successful in securing the participation of over 180 representatives (from 8 out of 11 CPTPP members). As an outcome of the first workshop Canada and Mexico would like to seek the organization of a second edition of the workshop in 2023. Miguel Fragoso, Director for Bilateral Cooperation, International Affairs Unit, SEMARNAT presented the proposal for a second edition of the workshop with a focus on stingrays and sharks with an emphasis on joint forms of collaboration for the care of marine species, new technologies, exchange experiences, as well as practical case studies. The proposed 2023 workshop would seek to strengthen the mechanisms for CPTPP countries to conserve marine species.

Commitments

Inclusion of Youth, Indigenous Peoples, and Gender Equality

• Canada and Mexico agreed that the inclusion of youth, Indigenous peoples and gender perspectives would be overarching principles in the bilateral environmental cooperation. Both countries will ensure that the appropriate representation of these groups are reflected in the design and implementation of any bilateral undertakings. The Parties agreed to hold a workshop in fall 2023 to exchange information on Mexico’s "Guardianes del Territorio" Program and Canada’s Indigenous Guardians initiatives.

Wastewater Cooperation

• On wastewater cooperation, the aim is to convene a one-day virtual or hybrid workshop during the upcoming year to discuss the current state of play within Mexico’s Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTP) and alternative existing wastewater treatment technologies. The main outcome of this engagement would be connecting Canadian experts on wastewater technology with members of the IMTA and/or the operating utility agencies to establish a network of experts and avenues to share best practices in wastewater treatment. Key sectoral areas of focus, still to be refined, could include animal waste and leaks from infrastructure.

Nature-Based Solutions to Address Climate Change and Conserve Biodiversity

• As next steps, PCA and CONANP will finalize the work plan and establish a calendar of activities to support the 2022-2023 work plan, by first establishing priority-specific meetings between subject-matter experts. Both agencies will also find opportunities that complement trilateral work with the United States and align aspects of the work plan with other initiatives. Cooperation activities are expected to start in the first trimester of 2023. Under the auspices of the Environment Working Group, SEMARNAT and ECCC, will continue supporting the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding by sharing expertise, facilitating information and knowledge exchange on biodiversity, climate change, and promoting public environmental education, particularly through the involvement of indigenous and local communities on protected areas.

Environmental Cooperation through Trade Agreements

• Canada and Mexico will collaborate on the delivery of a second virtual workshop on the illegal trade of protected species to be held virtually on February 2023. This will be an opportunity to, once again, showcase Canada and Mexico’s co-leadership on environment and trade, particularly amongst CPTPP members. Canada will conduct internal consultations within ECCC and Canada’s DFO on the proposed topic. Following the completion of the consultations, Canada and Mexico will jointly agree on the developed concept note and seek the interest of other CPTPP members to participate. There is a big interest from both countries to talk about the Fin Finder application launched by Singapore on June 7, 2022.

Participants

Canada

Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC)

• Jean-François Ferry, Director, Americas Division
• Agustí Bordas-i-Cusco, Manager, Pan-American Affairs, Americas Division
• Maryse Pineau, Manager, Indigenous Guardians, Canadian Wildlife Service
• Dahlia Stein, Manager, International Clean Technology (BPICT)
• Yésica Macías, Senior Policy Analyst, Pan-American Affairs, Americas Division
• Kathrin Bolduc, Political Analyst, Pan-American Affairs, Americas Division
• Mariana Da Costa Gomez, Junior Policy Analyst, Pan-American Affairs
• Mackenzie Finkbeiner, Junior Economist, Trade and Clean Technologies (BPICT)

Parks Canada (PC)

• Myriam Linteau, Director of Cultural Heritage Programs
• Rebecca Kennedy, Manager, International and Intergovernmental Affairs
• Noelia Tapp, Policy Advisor, International and Intergovernmental Affairs

Embassy of Canada in Mexico

• Lucie Verreault, Political Counsellor, Foreign Service Officer
• Sandra Díaz, Commercial Officer, Alberta Mexico Office
• Adriana Caudillo, Environment, Development and Health Officer

Mexico

Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT)

• Miguel Ángel Zerón Cid, Head of the Coordinating Unit for International Affairs (UCAI)
• Iris Adriana Jiménez, Coordinator of International Cooperation, UCAI.
• Ana Karen Embarcadero Luna, Director of Commercial Aspects, UCAI
• José Miguel Emilio Fragoso Romero, Director of Bilateral Cooperation, UCAI
• Sharon Marlene Karime Macías Cadena, Deputy Director of Strategy and International Policy, UCAI
• Irving Gibrán Góngora Arjona, Head of Northern Border Department, UCAI.
• Norma Ramírez Salinas, Water Treatment and Quality Coordinator, IMTA
• Malinali Domínguez Mares, Coordinator of Advisors to the Chief Executive Officer, IMTA
• César Calderón Mólgora, Deputy Coordinator of Wastewater Treatment, IMTA
• Victoria Alejandra Monroy Salinas, Coordinator of the Environmental and Cultural Education Center "Muros de Agua-José Revueltas", responsible for the “Guardianes y Guardianas del Territorio” Program.
• Moisés Senén Hernández Sánchez, Deputy Director of Economic Cooperation
• Ana Cristina Tovalin, Deputy Director for Climate Change
• Constanza Torres Valdez, Head of Department for Sustainable Development
• Ricardo Ortíz Conde, General Director of Integral Management of Materials and Risky Activities
• Alejandra Medina Arévalo, Director of Hazardous Materials and Waste
• Jesús López Olvera, Deputy Director of Cross-Border Waste Movements
• Saúl Torres Corral, Deputy Director of Hazard Assessment and Hazardous Waste Biological Infectious

Embassy of Mexico in Canada

• Dulce María Valle Álvarez, Minister for Bilateral Dialogue, Multilateral Affairs and Cooperation
• Mónica García Izaguirre, Locally engaged Trade Specialist, Economic Affairs
• Silvia Chávez Cerceda, International Cooperation Manager
• Benjamín Jiménez Almaraz, Deputy Manager of International Cooperation

National Water Commission (CONAGUA)

• Benjamín Jiménez Almaraz, Assistant Manager of International Cooperation
• Marisol Alfonso Romero. Project Manager
• Silvia Chávez Cerceda, International Cooperation Manager
• Benjamín Jiménez Almaraz, Deputy Manager of International Cooperation
• Paul Alfaro Nava, Deputy Manager of Geology
• Orlando García Rojas, Geotechnical Deputy Manager

National Commission of Protected Natural Areas (CONANP)

• Marina Hernández Rubio, Climate Change Strategy Directorate
• Ana Lilia Fernández Arriaga, Director of Communications
• Eduardo Robelo González, Deputy Director of Alternative Productive Projects

National Commission for the Knowledge and Use of Biodiversity (CONABIO)

• Paola Mosig Reidl, Coordinator of the CITES Scientific Authority
• Sol Guerrero Ortíz, Deputy Coordinator of the Scientific Authority Cites
• Sofía Treviño Heres, Specialist in Cooperation and International Affairs

The Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection (PROFEPA)

• Biól. Raúl Antonio Ávila Guzmán, Director of Inspection of Protected Marine Areas and Species
• Marino. Jesus Mejía Meza, Head of Marine Protected Areas Department
• Biól. Pedro Romo Obregón. Coordinator of inspectors
• Carolina Rojas López, Head of Department
• Sigrid Gutiérrez Aquino, Social service provider
• Rafael Coello García, Deputy Attorney for Industrial Inspection
• Rosario Peyrot González, General Director of Environmental Inspection
• Felipe Olmedo Octaviano, Director of Inspection and Surveillance of Hazardous Substances at Ports, Airports and Borders
• Francisco Navarrete Estrada, Director of Inspection and Surveillance of Wildlife and Phytosanitary in Ports, Airports and Borders

National Forestry Commission (CONAFOR)

• Carlos Manuel Pérez Medina, Head of International Affairs and Financial Development Unit (Unidad de Asuntos Internacionales y Fomento Financiero - UAIFF)
• José Armando Alanís de la Rosa, National Forest Monitoring System Manager
• Rafael Mayorga Saucedo, Monitoring, Reporting and Verification System Technical Manager
• Eduardo Cruz Castañeda, Fire Management Manager
• Juan Manuel Villa Mejía, Operations Assistant Manager
• Irma Karina López Sánchez, Manager of International Cooperation, UAIFF
• Daniela Lince Romero, Assistant Manager, International Cooperation, UAIFF
• Samantha Iveth Contreras Pacheco, International Cooperation Liaison, UAIFF

Foreign Policy Working Group

Introduction and objectives 

The Foreign Policy Working Group (FPWG) was created in 2021 at the 17^th Annual Meeting of the Canada-Mexico Partnership. In 2022, the Group met three times including the last meeting at the 18^th Annual Meeting of the CMP on November 24, 2022. The achievements of the Group in the past year were substantive; the working group adopted its Terms of Reference, invited Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC) and the National Institute of Indigenous People (INPI) to talk about Indigenous Cooperation, and the renewal of their Memorandum of Understanding, and finalized the Canada-Mexico Action Plan (previously referred to as the “Forward Agenda” or “White Paper”). 

At the CMP Annual Meeting in 2021 the national co-chairs tasked the FPWG with the development of the Canada-Mexico Action Plan.  This plan was agreed by the FPWG co-chairs at the FPWG meeting in October 2022. It constitutes a blueprint for an ambitious effort to expand the depth and breadth of the Canada-Mexico bilateral relationship. The document, developed through a whole-of-government approach, is built around 9 pillars: Reconciliation with Indigenous people; Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment; Trade and Investment; Anti-racism; Youth Engagement; Peace and Security; Tourism, Migration and Human Mobility; Environment and Climate Change; Cooperation in the Face of Future Health Crises.

The objectives of the Group at the 18^th Annual Meeting of the CMP were to a) discuss the prioritization of the pillars of the Canada-Mexico Action Plan; b) explore options to advancing the two countries Feminist Foreign Policies -which are guided by principles of diversity, inclusion, gender equality, intersectionality, and human rights; and c) determine next steps. Professor Laura Macdonald from Carleton University, Beth Woroniuk of the Equality Fund, and representatives from the Youth Lab cohorts of 2021 and 2022, were invited to share their views and recommendations on these three topics.  All stakeholders appreciated the opportunity to join the FPWG and welcomed Canada’s and Mexico’s efforts to advance Feminist Foreign Policies and Indigenous cooperation in the Action Plan. The Group committed to consider their joint recommendations and agreed to propose the announcement of the Action Plan by leaders on the margins of the 10^th North America Leaders’ Summit in January 2023.

Outcomes 

• Reaffirmed the importance of the FPWG as a space for discussions on pressing issues for both governments, including Indigenous cooperation and Feminist Foreign Policies.
• Discussed with external stakeholders the prioritization of the nine pillars of the Canada-Mexico Action Plan and agreed to consider their views in the next steps and implementation of the Action Plan. Some of the external stakeholder input included:
  • Bring a feminist lens across all pillars of the Canada-Mexico Action Plan by including concrete actions and initiatives that integrate gender and intersectional perspectives, including Indigenous and youth perspectives.
  • Ensure the Environment and Climate Change pillar is given the same prioritization as other pillars and increase cooperation on the development of green energy sources.
  • Bolster inclusive trade in the Trade and Investment pillar by supporting initiatives that advance women-owned small and medium sized enterprises, as well as Indigenous, LGBTQ-owned businesses. Moreover, implement actions that address the impact that Canada-Mexico trade relations have on women in the informal sector and on the care economy. Also, highlight how Canada and Mexico are collaborating to ensure feminist objectives are achieved in the labour sector and implement initiatives to improve labour practices.
  • Ensure the Migration and Human Mobility pillar promotes labour mobility, while ensuring adequate housing and addressing the low level of employment of women in the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program.
• Welcomed recommendations from external stakeholders on advancing Canada’s and Mexico’s Feminist Foreign Policies bilaterally, trilaterally and in the Americas. Some of the recommendations included:
  • Regionally: Host a regional dialogue on what feminist foreign policy looks like in the Americas; joint efforts to support women human rights defenders in the Americas while building on Canada’s Voices at Risk: Canada’s Guidelines on Supporting Human Rights Defenders and consider collaborating on addressing the impact of arms trafficking in the region, with gender perspective.
  • Trilaterally: Proposed the creation of a gender committee in CUSMA to monitor the outcomes of the trade agreements in a multidisciplinary fashion. Moreover, proposed the creation of a youth working group in the trilateral agenda.
  • Bilaterally:
    • Include diverse voices (youth, Indigenous, women, etc.) in discussions of the FPWG; and propose a similar approach for other working groups of the CMP.
    • Ensure Canada and Mexico’s Feminist Foreign Policies contribute to dismantle persistent inequalities and address fundamental structural barriers to address needs of those most affected by discrimination.
    • Develop a Youth Foreign Policy Framework and build on the framework proposal developed by the Youth Lab 2021.
    • Build on Mexico’s work on bringing a gender perspective to the COP negotiations and increase collaboration to promote a feminist perspective in efforts to address climate change.
    • Adopt a Women Peace and Security lens to countries experiencing non-traditional conflicts and insecure periods due to organize crime, narco-trafficking and instability of other forms.
  • Obtained approval of the Canada-Mexico Action Plan by the CMP national co-chairs, who also welcomed the proposal of putting it forward as a deliverable for the Leaders’ bilateral meeting on the margin of the North America Leaders’ Summit, January 2023.

Commitments

• Implement the Canada-Mexico Action Plan:
  • Proposed that Prime Minister Trudeau and President Lopez Obrador announce a public version of the Action Plan in the margins of the North America Leaders’s Summit in January 2023.
  • Review external stakeholder recommendations and consider how to incorporate them in the implementation of the Action Plan, particularly through a feminist approach, breaking silos between pillars, addressing the gendered impacts of arms trafficking, advancing gender responsive policies to address climate change, promote gender related initiatives in trade in trade and include diverse voices.
  • Develop and implement a strategy for 2023, which includes the mainstream of feminist foreign policies, indigenous and youth engagement in the different pillars of the Canada-Mexico Action Plan.
  • Agree on a mechanism to track progress.
  • Develop a communication strategy for the Canada-Mexico Action Plan, including through engagement with academics from Canadian and Mexican universities—which can build a group of people with knowledge of the two countries-.
• Advance Feminist Foreign Policies bilaterally, trilaterally and in the region:
  • Develop a join strategy for 2023 to advance Canada’s and Mexico’s Feminist Foreign in the Americas.
  • Review external stakeholder recommendations and consider how to incorporate them in the Action Plan.
  • Continue to engage with diverse stakeholders and voices, including youth, civil society, women’s organizations, indigenous organizations, and academics and include their perspectives into the FPWG work. Also, encourage this approach in the CMP and the trilateral agenda.
  • Promote in the Americas the Global Alliance for Care and the Alliance for Feminist Movements.
  • Propose the creation of a Youth Working Group under the CMP.
• Advance Indigenous Reconciliation:
  • Work with CIRNAC and INPI to contribute to achieve the renewal of their MOU in the margins of NALS 2023.

Participants

Canada

Global Affairs Canada (GAC)

• Isabelle Desjardins, Deputy Director, Mexico Division and Trilateral Affairs
• Lina Holguin, Policy Advisor, Mexico and Trilateral Affairs

Embassy of Canada in Mexico

• Shauna Hemmingway, Minister-Counsellor for Political Affairs

Mexico

Secretariat Foreign Affairs (SRE)

• Africa Miroslava Zepeda Peña, Officer, Political Affairs for Canada, and Trilateral Mechanisms

Embassy of Mexico in Canada

• Cristina Oropeza, Counsellor for Political Affairs

Forestry Working Group

Introduction and objectives 

The meeting of the Working Group on Forests (WGF) of the Canada-Mexico Partnership (CMP) brought together experts from Canada and Mexico to report on and reaffirm two priority areas of collaboration: (1) forest carbon accounting; and (2) wildland fire management, as well as to explore potential areas of further cooperation.

Outcomes

• Canada and Mexico recognized their long-term bilateral collaboration, particularly on wildland management, as well as their mutual interest to continue strengthening the cooperation to exchange information, knowledge, and human resources in priority areas. Referring to the North American Leaders Summit, the importance of the relationship and integration amongst both nations was also noted.
• In terms of wildland fire management, experts from the Canadian Forest Service (CFS), the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC) and Mexico’s National Forestry Commission (CONAFOR), shared information on wildland fire management initiatives and systems, highlighting the importance given to promoting equity, diversity and inclusion. Both countries also recognized the signature of the Operating Plan in 2022 and expressed their best will to promote the signature of the instrument in early 2023.
• Canada made four presentations on:
  1. the progress of the WildFireSat initiative through which Canadian wildfire managers will be given unprecedented strategic intelligence on all active wildfires and carbon emissions from wildfires for improved forecasting and monitoring;
  2. Canada’s 2022 fire season and updates of the Operating Plan between Canada and Mexico;
  3. the update of the Next Generation Canadian Wildfire Hazard Danger Rating System; and,
  4. the promotion of equity, diversity and inclusion in wildland fire management in Canada.
• Mexico shared one presentation which referred to the signature of the operating plan in 2022, the virtual access given by Canada to Mexico to capacity building-trainings developed by CIFFC, and the improvements made to standard operating procedures in Mexico for future deployments in Canada. Mexico also shared advancements on the promotion of equity, diversity and inclusion, underlying that between 2019 and 2022, 278 women have taken specialized fire management courses.
• Regarding forest carbon accounting, presentations related to forest carbon modeling and analyses of climate change mitigation options were shared by researchers of the CFS, referring to studies undertaken in the North American region. Canada informed on their national analyses carried out since 2014, and recent provincial-level analyses, while Mexico referred to the work of the National Forestry Commission (CONAFOR) has advanced on assessing the mitigation potential and impact of their forest sector in climate change, particularly focused on assessing the mitigation benefits of key CONAFOR programs (promotion of sustainable forest management and payment for environmental services) in the states of Yucatán, Chiapas and Jalisco.

Commitments

This year’s presentations on wildland management and carbon accounting made it clear that both areas of work continue to be a priority for both countries. Sustained progress and groundbreaking work are continuing on forests in both Mexico and Canada. In this context, the focus of this coming year's CMP Forest Working Group will continue to be on wildland fire management and carbon accounting, while exploring several cross-cutting areas where our longstanding forest collaborations under the CMP might be further enhanced:

1. Indigenous peoples, communities and forests: Mexico shared with Canada the National Forestry Commission’s (CONAFOR) interest in organizing an exchange between indigenous peoples of both countries in order to (i) promote the establishment of direct relations between indigenous peoples; (ii) draw attention to the challenges faced by indigenous peoples in relation to forest management; and (iii) recognize their traditional knowledge regarding forest protection and management. Canada accepted Mexico’s invitation, expressing the relevance and interest to include partners from indigenous peoples in this bilateral collaboration on forests. The opportunity to merge western science with traditional knowledge drew the interest and attention of participants from both countries.
2. Increasing digital and multilingual accessibility: Within the context of the ongoing bilateral cooperation between Canada and Mexico under both the CMP and other cooperation mechanisms, the Co-Chairs noted a desire from both sides to explore ways to further improve access to existing training for wildland fire and carbon accounting with potentially both more online access and multi-lingual offerings. Canada and Mexico both highlighted areas for two-way learning within each other's ongoing approaches to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion efforts within wildland fire management.

Given the diverse areas for forest collaboration and shared limitations in resources - both human and financial - the Forest Working Group agreed to work as it has been done in the past through existing channels to continue cooperation between CMP meetings and further refine the focus of the 2023 collaborations in areas of mutual benefit that allow each side to accomplish a sum greater than its individual parts.

Participants

Canada

Natural Resources Canada (NRCan)

• Pierre Jonathan Teasdale, Director, Trade and International Affairs Division, CFS
• Carolyn Smyth, Research Scientist, CFS
• Patrick Wylie, Senior Policy Analyst, Trade and International Affairs Division, CFS
• Natasha Jurko, Geospatial Fire Technologist, CFS
• Joshua Johnston, Forest Fire Research Scientist, CFS

Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre

• Dave Bokovay, Director of Operations
• Heather Simpson, Fire Science and Information Manager

Mexico

National Forestry Commission (CONAFOR)

• José Armando Alanís de la Rosa, Manager of the National Forest Monitoring System
• Rafael Mayorga Saucedo, Technical Manager of the Monitoring, Reporting and Verification System
• Eduardo Cruz Castañeda, Manager of Fire Management
• Juan Manuel Villa Mejía, Operations Deputy Manager
• Irma Karina López Sánchez, Manager of International Cooperation
• Daniela Lince Romero, Deputy Manager of International Cooperation
• Samantha Contreras Pacheco, Liaison of International Cooperation
• César Moreno García, Deputy Manager on Geomatics
• Stephanie George Chacón, Specialist in estimation and modeling of GHG fluxes in the forestry sector
• María de los Ángeles Soriano Luna, Specialist in estimation and modeling of GHG fluxes in the forestry sector
• Marcela Olguín Álvarez, Land sector GHG mitigation scenario modeling expert

Human Capital Working Group

Introduction and objectives 

The Governments of Mexico and Canada held the 18^th Meeting of the Human Capital Working Group (HCWG) virtually on November 24, 2022 for the purpose of presenting the efforts of each country in terms of educational cooperation, student mobility and academic exchange. It was decided to do the meeting virtually to allow those who could not travel a chance to participate.

Canada hosted this year’s meeting. The HCWG was co-chaired by Mr. Jean-Philippe Tachdjian, Executive Director of International Education at Global Affairs Canada, and by Eduardo García Lima, Director of Academic Exchange, the Mexican Agency for International Development Cooperation (AMEXCID) in place of Ms. Gloria Sandoval Salas, General Director of Foreign Project Execution (DGEPE) of AMEXCID.

The Working Group took place in an atmosphere of solidarity and dynamism, in accordance with the agenda and topics previously agreed upon by the parties. The HCWG integrated Indigenous collaboration as a cross-cutting theme that was explored throughout the CMP working groups, in addition to student mobility, Indigenous mobility and collaboration, and internship opportunities in relation to youth mobility.

The Co-Chairs from the two countries were pleased with the broad participation and level of representation of key stakeholders from the education sector in each country, drawing attention to the presence and participation of government officials (at the national, state and local levels), the private sector and civil society. Over 70 Mexican and Canadian participants attended.

Both Co-Chairs pointed out that as a result of the meeting, efforts will be made to renew the commitments and continue the collaboration of both countries, in order to define a roadmap and a plan of action for 2023. The HCWG will continue to promote widening access to quality, inclusive and equitable education, as well as international mobility and academic exchanges by Mexican and Canadian nationals, with special attention to Indigenous youth and academics.

Outcomes 

Overview of Student Mobility

As the first item on the agenda, the Co-Chairs recognised how deeply affected the education sector was during the pandemic, including high economic losses. This was especially the case for language studies which was among the worst hit within the Canadian sector, and for which Mexico is a key partner. This agenda item featured presentations on the Global Skills Opportunities (GSO) program funded by the Government of Canada, the Emerging Leaders in the Americas program (ELAP) by GAC, and the Merit Scholarship Opportunities and the Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) program by AMEXCID.

The GSO, announced in 2019 as part of Canada’s International Education Strategy, is funded by ESDC and administered by Universities Canada and Colleges and Institutes Canada. The goal is to increase the number of Canadian students studying abroad through allocating funds to three objectives: 1) 50% of the funding allocated to widen access and equity for Canadian students, 2) diversifying countries where students work and study, and 3) test innovative approaches to reduce mobility barriers. Canadian institutions are looking at a wide variety of opportunities (such as internships, COIL, experiential learning, field schools) for the acquisition of (intercultural) skills. As of September 2022, there are around 1,600 students participating in both physical (69%) and virtual (31%) mobility experiences. Of those students, 74% are from underrepresented groups (low-income, indigenous, and students with disabilities. Indigenous students make up 13.8% of the participants.

GAC presented on the ELAP program, a long-established scholarship that awards over 600 scholarships a year for short-term exchanges for study or research. ELAP scholarships strengthen institutional ties between Canada and eligible countries in the Americas such as Mexico, as scholarships are facilitated through institutional collaborations and student exchange agreements between post-secondary institutions in Canada and their partners. Mexico is among the largest beneficiary in the Americas. Since 2009, approximately 1,116 future leaders from Mexico studied in Canada with ELAP scholarships, also strengthening ties between Canadian and Mexican institutions. In the last year, 2021, 111 Mexican students were accepted to come to Canada to study, which marks the highest year of participation since the launching of the ELAP program in 2009.

AMEXCID and University of Monterrey followed with a presentation about the Merit Scholarship Opportunities and COIL program, to be launched in 2023. This project is for inbound mobility to help with Mexican institutions’ internationalisation. For the COIL component, the program will offer 60 scholarships with professors joining groups of five. For the physical mobility, pre-existing collaboration will be required. AMEXCID invites Canadian partners to apply.

Overall, the pandemic has shown the resilience of the education sector, and its capacity to adapt to the virtual world. With the borders reopened, a strong return to physical student mobility is confirmation that in-person education collaboration opportunities are still valued and the many benefits are not easily captured through virtual interactions.

Indigenous mobility & collaboration

As a key space for dialogue, the representatives of the Mexican and Canadian education sectors presented indigenous educational cooperation and academic exchange initiatives on:

1. that have been implemented previously;
2. that are currently being implemented;
3. that could potentially be carried out bilaterally as of 2022.

AMEXCID opened by providing updates on an item from last year’s action plan, specifically on promoting access to educational opportunities for vulnerable groups and indigenous peoples. They worked on program development with their ministry of public education, learning about best practices in this field. They worked with Thompson Rivers University (TRU) which already has experience in this kind of mobility. AMEXCID is currently exploring partnerships and having institutions support program development. While the work is still ongoing, they learned that in having indigenous student exchanges, an elder of that community should be included.

Other interventions echoed this point stating that working with institutions’ indigenous offices and elders is very important. As indigenous students have faced barriers to mobility, preparing them adequately and having an elder present is comforting. In addition, for indigenous collaboration across both countries, most students would prefer travelling in a group, with an elder, and with an interpreter in order to have the best experience. Given these needs, funding can be challenging.

There were several interventions by education institutions from both countries highlighting the work they are doing to foster mobility amongst indigenous peoples, such as strengthening existing programs or launching new ones. But also on disseminating knowledge on culture and language preservation through speaker series. In particular, Lakehead University mentioned the desire to restart the Canada-Mexico Roundtable on Indigenous Higher Education, which has been paused since the pandemic. This consortium was created to discuss and collaborate on indigenous and intercultural higher education but also to look for opportunities to promote student and faculty mobility, joint research, and community linkages. HCWG will see how it can support this project.

Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC) and Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) were invited as observers and spoke broadly about their mandate, with CIRNAC highlighting their MOU renewal process with the National Institute of indigenous Peoples in Mexico (INPI). The renewed MOU could potentially serve as a tool that could lead to increased collaboration on education. CIRNAC and ISC welcomed the possibility of further engagement with them to determine common interests. They mentioned the importance of having Indigenous representatives present on issues that impact them. Both co-chairs agreed and will seek how to include Indigenous representatives in consultations going forward.

Internship opportunities & youth mobility

This last agenda item began with a presentation from the Mexican Institute for Youth (IMJUVE) and Les Offices jeunesse internationaux du Québec (LOJIQ) followed by MITACS. IMJUVE and LOJIQ spoke about their close bonds going back 40 years and reinforced those bonds by renewing their MOU in 2021 for institutional cooperation and student mobility. Their intent is to strengthen youth’s prospects in the labour market through acquiring intercultural skills resulting from international mobility. The learning reinforced through these exchanges promotes the evolution of youth into cosmopolitan citizens that represents our common world.

MITACS provided an overview of how they facilitate mobility through their program offerings. While helping students prepare for labour market they also work alongside industry to help innovation in research. Since 2012, they’ve welcomed over 1,000 Mexican students to Canada but also supported over 70 Canadians participants in research projects in Mexico.

Several interventions followed with many institutions echoing how participating in programs such as MITACS and ELAP have provided a great opportunity but also have helped in the creation of new projects. Other institutions shared their internship and mobility programs. For example, in working on the 2021 HCWG’s action item to expand opportunities for language learning and intercultural exchange, the Government of Quebec Delegation to Mexico (DGQMexique) has a mobility program for Quebecois students to teach French at Mexican institutions and vice versa, and aims to launch a new project in 2023 promoting the Quebecois identity in Mexico.

Commitments

It is worth noting that much collaboration between Canada and Mexico in the education sector is already well established and there are many programs supporting student mobility and institutional collaboration. Much work has been done since the last HCWG to advance the 2021 action items and resume pre-Covid collaborations. In reviewing the HCWG tracker of stakeholder activities, at least 25 new initiatives were undertaken since the last HCWG meeting in 2021, with activities such as research collaboration, joint program development, and Canadian outbound mobility. (Note: the list is not exhaustive). These activities build on the 2021 HCWG Action Items to create, strengthen and diversify linkages and partnerships between Canadian and Mexican education stakeholders.

As a deliverable of the Working Group Meeting, the Co-Chairs expressed their commitment to define a 2022-2023 Action Plan that will identify areas of common interest in education collaboration and fostering connections between Canadian and Mexican stakeholders and institutions. In this regard, special emphasis was placed on prioritizing the offer in the areas of study that are in demand for each nation, as well as for the population groups that are most vulnerable, such as women, youth and indigenous peoples, among others. Both co-chairs also stated that they looked forward to the next HCWG being held in person.

To that end, the HCWG Co-Chairs agreed to:

• Focus on widening the variety of opportunities both virtual and physical and Collaborative Online International Learning (COILs), between Canada and Mexico.
• Explore how the HCWG can include and consult indigenous representatives, including Elders, on issues of international education collaboration and access to mobility opportunities.
• Explore how the HCWG can support the restarting of the Canada-Mexico Roundtable on Indigenous Higher Education.
• Explore further opportunities related to upskilling, experiential learning, and internships for youth as tools to be successful on the labour market.

Participants

Canada

Global Affairs Canada (GAC)

• Jean-Philippe Tachdjian, Executive Director, International Education Division
• Suehila Elkateb, Deputy Director for Policy, Partnerships and Mobility
• Gabrielle Dew, Senior Policy Advisor
• Nataša Forte, Policy Analyst
• Olivia Dupasquier, Junior Policy Analyst

Embassy of Canada in Mexico

• Gabriel Frappier, Counsellor, Public, Academic and Cultural Affairs
• Laura Garza, Academic Affairs Officer

Indigenous Services Canada (ISC)

• Esmé Clifford, Manager and Advisor, International Relations, Partnerships and Innovation

Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC)

• Jyoti Bhargava, Manager, Bilateral, Trade and Multilateral Relations, Intergovernmental and International Relations Directorate

Government of Alberta’s Mexico Office

• Sandra Diaz, Commercial Officer

British Columbia Ministry of Advanced Education Skills Training

• Helen Akulova, International Education and Intergovernmental Relations

Delegation of the Province of Quebec to Mexico

• François Bellerive, Premier conseiller
• Mayra Vásquez Santos, Attachée de coopération éducative

Ministère de l'Enseignement Supérieur du Québec

• Isabelle Monette, Conseillère en affaires canadiennes et intergouvernementales, Direction des relations extérieures
• Jean-Philip Ruel, Conseiller en affaires internationales

Ministère des Relations internationales et de la Francophonie du Québec

• Andrea Reynoso

Saskatchewan Ministry of Advanced Education

• Jennifer Augustin, Manager Global Mobility and Study Abroad
• Shirley Zhou, Director, International Education and Global Engagement, International Education & Jurisdictional Initiatives

BCCIE

• Colin Doerr, Director, External Relations

CONAHEC (Consortium for North American Higher Education Collaboration)

• Sean Manley-Casimir, Executive Director

MITACS

• Fiona Langdon, Senior International Partnerships Officer
• Oliverio Velazquez, Advisor, Business Development
• Daniel Caramori, Advisor, Business Development
• Candice Loring, Senior Advisor, Indigenous Relations and Initiatives

Universities Canada

• Rym Cheriet, Senior International Relations Officer
• Lindsay Carlton, Manager, Global Skills Opportunity

Languages Canada

• Gonzalo Peralta

Canada-Mexico Youth Lab

• Rebecca Breen

Campus Support CDI College

• Rana Salem, Coordinator, International Admissions

Lakehead University

• James Aldridge, Vice-Provost, International
• Pierre Sved, Manager, International Relations (Latin America)
• Jill Sherman, CALAREO Secretariat

MacEwan University

• Mario Meraz, Senior Program Manager

Manitoba Institute of Trades and Technology

• Beverlie Stuart, Vice President, Business and Organizational Development

Memorial University

• Bing Chen, Associate Dean, Graduate Studies, Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science
• Loredo Osto, Department Head, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Faculty of Science

Robertson Global College

• Tara Dias, Business Development Manager
• Belinda Loschiavo, Vice President

Thompson Rivers University

• Reyna Denison
• Lori De Frias

University of Manitoba

• Fanny Levy, Director, International Centre

University of Ottawa in Mexico

• Gabriela Cueva-Zermeño, Representative of the University of Ottawa in Mexico
• Fernanda López-Olivo, Representative of the University of Ottawa in Mexico

University of Regina

• Jennifer Matheson, Manager International Education Services and Global Engagement

University of Saskatchewan

• Vanessa Leon, International Partner Specialist
• Leslie Bowditch, Team Lead, Study Abroad and Student Mobility

Mexico

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mexican Agency for International Development Cooperation

• Eduardo García Lima, Director of Academic Exchange
• Mariana López Sánchez, Head of Department
• Angélica Anahí Pedraza Lundez, Services
• Juan Rodrigo Sandoval Islas, Consultor PNUD

Embassy of Mexico in Canada

• Nancy Márquez Muñoz, First secretary, Education Affairs & Academic Cooperation

National Institute of Indigenous Peoples (INPI)

• Saúl Vicente Vázquez, Director of International Affairs

National Institute of Migration

• Xadeni Méndez Márquez, Director of International Affairs
• Rosio Sofía Márquez García, Directora de Capacitación Migratoria
• Raúl Yonatan Ortiz Peña, Development of Immigration Operation Technology Coordinator

Mexican Institute of Youth (IMJUVE)

• Marta Cristina Rodríguez Sánchez, Deputy Director of International Affairs

Secretariat of Public Education, State of Mexico

• Lorena Alvarado Buendía, Director of Curricular Development of Higher Secondary Education

Secretariat of Public Education, State of Jalisco

• Francisco Gerardo de la Torre Aguirre, Director of Technological Higher Secondary Education

Secretariat of Public Education, State of Nuevo Leon

• María del Rosario Nolasco Fonseca, Undersecretary of Higher Secondary Education

Institute for the Development and Attention to Youth, State of Guanajuato

• Diego Hernández Huerta, Director of National and International Linkages

Veracruzan Inter-institutional Council of Education

• Ernesto Efrén del Moral Ventura, Technical Secretary 

Undersecretary of Higher Education (Secretariat of Public Education)

• María de los Ángeles Gordillo Castañeda, Director of Intercultural Universities

National Association of Universities and Higher Education Institutions (ANUIES)

• Brenda Elizabeth Galaviz Aragón, Director of International Relations

Tecnológico De Monterrey (TEC MONTERREY)

• Daniela González, Director of International Development for the Americas and the Caribbean

Instituto Tecnológico de Querétaro (ITQ)

• Ramón Soto Arreola, Director

Universidad Tecnológica el Retoño

• Natalia Covarrubias Olivares, Head of Department of International Affairs

Universidad de Guadalajara (UDG)

• Valeria Viridiana Padilla Navarro, Internationalization Coordinator of the General Academic and Innovation Coordination

Universidad Politécnica Metropolitana de Hidalgo (Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo)

• Pamela Queen Domínguez Moreno, Head of the Internationalization Department

Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM)

• Mtra Dolores González Casanova, Deputy Director of Institutional Liaison
• Constantino Macías García, Director of UNAM-Canada
• Gerardo Familiar Ferrer, Technical Secretary of the UNAM-Canada

Universidad Iberoamericana

• Tahtiali Margarita García Pérez, Internationalization Coordinator

Universidades Tecnológicas y Politécnicas

• Mildred Toledo Antúnez, Head of the Department of International Projects & Programs
• Iván Omar Zapata de Santiago, Research professor & International cooperation

Tecnológico Nacional de México (TECNM)

• Marco Antonio Trujillo Martínez, Director of Linkages and Academic Exchange
• Carlos Martínez Azocar, Foreign Languages Coordinator of the Directorate of Academic Relations and Exchange

Universidad Veracruzana

• Daniel Arturo Romero León, Academic and Student Mobility Coordinator

Universidad de Monterrey (UdeM)

• Brenda García Portillo, Director of Internationalization Projects

Universidad de Guanajuato

• Elías Ledesma Orozco, Director of International Relations and Academic Collaboration
• Erick Manuel Sánchez Robles, Head of Mobility and Academic Exchange

Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores De Occidente (ITESO)

• Patricia Camarena Morales, Mobility, Processes and IT Coordinator

Mining Working Group

Introduction and objectives 

The Mining Working Group Meeting of the Canada-Mexico Partnership took place on November 24, 2022, via videoconference. The main objective of the meeting was to discuss the topic of Indigenous consultations and engagement in the mining sector. The Mexican delegation highlighted their need to learn from Canada on this topic and requested it to be the focus of this year’s Meeting.

Canada’s objective was to deliver a half-day workshop on Indigenous consultations and engagement in Canada’s mining industry. The Canadian program included expert presentations on Canada’s legal and regulatory framework outlining the obligations of consultation and engagement, and impact assessment for mining projects. The second half of the Canadian program consisted of practical examples of Indigenous consultation, engagement and participation from Canadian companies.

Mexico delivered updates on their work on consultations with Indigenous peoples and on mine closure.

Outcomes

The first presentation of the working group meeting was delivered by Natural Resources Canada, Nòkwewashk, the branch responsible for Indigenous consultations and reconciliation. The presenters outlined some of the different legislative and regulatory aspects as they relate to Indigenous engagement and consultations in the natural resource sector. They provided a jurisprudence overview and spoke about Indigenous People of Canada, Section 35 of the Canadian Constitution, the difference between consultation and engagement as well as the role of the project proponent. They also touched upon Canada’s reconciliation approach and other evolving legal framework.

The second presentation covered Canada’s Impact Assessment process. A Senior Environmental Advisor from Natural Resources Canada provided a detail overview of the five phases of the Impact Assessment process (Planning Phase, Impact Statement Phase, Impact Assessment Phase, Decision making Phase, and Post-decision Phase) and included website sources that exemplify historical and current cases in Canada.

The final section of the Canadian program showcased presentations from the following Canadian companies: O Trade, BBE Expediting Ltd. and Kitikmeot Corporation. The representative from O Trade presented on key trends that she has observed throughout Latin America in the area of Indigenous consultation in the natural resource sector. The representative offered insights into good practices and lessons learned that she has gathered throughout her practice and discussed a few case studies. Finally, the representatives from BBE Expediting Ltd. and Kitikmeot Corporation shared their experience in partnerships with Indigenous-owned companies and Indigenous communities. They provided knowledge of the good practices that have nurtured a strong relationship with Indigenous peoples and Indigenous-owned businesses, and offered key points on what they have found makes a partnership with Indigenous-owned companies and Indigenous communities successful.

The Mexican program included presentations on the status of Indigenous consultations in Mexico and the process post-Supreme court decision. The presentation, given by the new Head of the Extractive Industries Unit, provided insight into Mexico’s priorities, challenges, and approaches to developing a regulatory framework to support the implementation of Indigenous consultations in the mining sector. The second presentation, delivered by Mexico’s Director General of Mining Development, outlined the work being done on mine closures, specifically the plans to develop a new regulatory framework.

Commitments

• Canada commits to remaining available to continue the collaboration in the area of Indigenous engagement and consultation in the mining sector and explore areas of targeted expertise, at Mexico’s request.
• Mexico has committed to continue in its process of gathering the best experiences and knowledge of the Indigenous consultation to define and establish its own process, with the participation of the actors involved and with respect for the rights of Indigenous peoples and legal certainty to participants in the mining sector.
• Mexico will also continue the exchange of experiences and information on the issues of conclusion and closure of mines to define and propose the legal provisions that should direct its process

Participants

Canada

Natural Resources Canada (NRCan)

• Shirley Dawe, Executive Director
• Nathalie Kauffeldt, Senior Director
• Luc Leboeuf, Director
• Tomas Lopez Cabanillas, Deputy Director
• Stefania Novoa, Mining Lead for the Americas
• Nicholas Goyens, Export Promotion Lead
• Pierre-Olivier Émond, Senior Environmental Advisor

Canadian Industry

• Monica Ospina, Founder and CEO, O Trade
• Dino Forlin, Chief Operating Officer, Kitikmeot Corporation
• Heather Stewart, President, BBE Expediting Ltd.

Mexico

Secretariat of Economy

• José Jabalera, Director General
• Rosa Maria Gutierrez, Head of Extractive Industries Unit

Trade, Investment and Innovation Working Group

Introduction and objectives 

1. Welcome and opening remarks by the Trade, Investment and Innovation Working Group (TIIWG) Co-CJairs, Eric Walsh, Director General for North America Global Affairs Canada (GAC) Daniel Garcia, Director General of International Treaties´, Monitoring, Administration and Compliance Oversight, Secretary of Economy and José Treviño, President of the Business Committee, Mexican Business Council for Foreign Trade, Investment and Technology, A.C. (COMCE)
2. Sandra Diaz and Tim Olsen from the province of Alberta, Horacio Cuevas from the province of Saskatchewan and Paul-Thomas LaCroix from the province of Quebec provided updates on their 2022 activities and their forward plans.
3. Mexico then led a presentation of the 2022 activities and 2023 proposals which was then followed by Canada’s presentation of the 2022 activities and a forward look at 2023.
4. Finalized the meeting with a Discussion on how to move the CMP WGTII and HLED forward.

The objective of the TIIWG is to strengthen the dialogue between our governments and support the growing needs and activities of Canadian and Mexican enterprises doing business in the markets of both countries and contributing to the development of a resilient and inclusive economy.

Outcomes 

The representatives from the Province of Alberta, Sandra Diaz and Tim Olsen, presented on their 3 pillars for 2022 which includes commercial promotion, bringing investment to the province and commercial policy. The representative from the Province of Saskatchewan, Horacio Cuevas, presented the 2022 exchange program for indigenous students from Saskatchewan and Yucatan which provided great innovations. The representative from Quebec, Paul-Thomas LaCroix, presented the provinces initiatives for 2022 which focused on automotive and aerospace. The Quebec Minister of the Economy visited Queretaro and participated in a meeting focused on automotive, which included a mission of 20 automotive companies to Queretaro; also, Governor Mauricio Kuri visited Quebec in November 2022.

Mexico’s 2022 initiatives had a work mission from the state of Tabasco to Ottawa, Canada which included a visit of the Governor of Tabasco and activities with the state of Guerrero in Ottawa. Mexico increased business promotion with specific focus on improving Mexican companies’ knowledge of Canada’s work environment and its advantages for investment. 3rd edition of MujerExportaMx business roundtable for Mexican businesswomen on the Diversifying opportunities in the Canadian Market Panel. Working visit to Vancouver in the framework of the 2nd Free Trade Commission. The North American Businesswomen's Summit, in which a delegation of Mexican, Canadian and U.S. businesswomen participated, was aimed at promoting the importance of diversity and inclusion in trade.

Canada’s 2022 initiatives included working with AMEXCAP to highlight the importance of Canada and Mexico collaboration in Venture capital and advantages of Canada as an investment destination. Business missions in mining, life sciences, aerospace, defence, oil and gas, ICT and cleantech. A report on the supplier diversity study will be completed in 2022. The 2022 Canadian Trade Accelerator Program had successful cohorts in ICT, Fintech and Agri-tech.

The High-Level Economic Dialogue (HLED) is a priority for Canada and Mexico and therefore both sides are interested in bringing the HLED into the CMP TIIWG framework, specifically using the TIIWG as an opportunity to share information on HLED moving forward.

Commitments

Canada:

1. Work with Invest in Canada and Delegation du Quebec to profile Canada at the AMEXCAP event in 2023
2. Canada will continue the Canadian Technology Accelerator (CTA) cohorts throughout 2023 and complete the Supplier Diversity study in 2023.
3. The HLED will be brought into the CMP TIIWG framework so as to not duplicate work and use the working group as a reporting framework for the HLED.4. Schedule the Global Economic Intelligence Unit, Invest Mexico and GAC Investment Bureau Presentation, and Innovation centers of Mexico presentations.

Mexico:

1. Work with CanCham, the Secretary of Labor and Social Security, and the Embassy of Canada in Mexico in 2023 to implement a project that builds synergies for young people: “Jóvenes Construyendo el Futuro”.
2. Exchange of information on Mexican supply and Canadian commercial demand, linked to the products of MSMEs in Mexico's indigenous communities.
3. Virtual Business Roundtable to promote the exportable offer of Mexican indigenous MSMEs.
4. Webinar with the representation of the province of Alberta in Mexico.
5. Meetings with the delegations of Quebec and Saskatchewan in Mexico
6. Mission for a visit of Canadian institutional investors to Mexico in the framework of the AMEXCAP annual summit in March 2023.

The Co-chairs of the Working Group agreed to continue working under an agenda that strengthens trade relations between both countries including vulnerable groups to strengthen our economy and the well-being of our communities. The actions to be carried out during 2023 should have a focus on indigenous empowerment.

Participants

Canada

Global Affairs Canada (GAC)

• Krista Eisan, Deputy Director - Trade
• Claire Mackie, Trade Commissioner

Embassy of Canada in Mexico

• Heather Brason, Trade Policy Officer
• Luis Ernesto Gonzalez, CTA Officer
• Stéphanie Mercure, Trade Commissioner
• Sandra Diaz, Trade Commissioner, Alberta Mexico Office
• Paul-Thomas Lacroix, Economic Counsellor, Délégation du Québec à Mexico 

Consulate General of Canada in Monterrey

• Jonathan Steblin, Consul and Senior Trade Commissioner, Consulate General of Canada in Monterrey 

Consulate of Canada in Guadalajara

• Robert Landry, Vice-consul and Trade Commissioner

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)

• Tapfuma Nyaundi, Acting Manager
• Alessandra Cicci, Analyst

Government of Saskatchewan

• Horacio Cuevas, Managing Director, Ministry of Trade and Export Development

Mexico

Secretariat of the Economy

• Jacqueline Márquez Rojano, Head of the Office of CUSMA Implementation 
• Rodrigo Fermín Legorreta Guadalajara, Director General of Data 
• Noé García Ortiz, Director General for Productive Development
• Liliana Padilla Rodríguez, Director General for Investment and Export Promotion Policy
• Adolfo Damián Fernández Elwes, Director for Canada
• Ivana Fernández Stohanzlova, Director for the Productive Development
• Dalia Atzimba Mendoza Dávila, Director for Innovation
• Gabriela Nava Lozano, Head of the Department for Canada
• Javier Martínez, Commercial Advisor of the Office of CUSMA Implementation Representative of the Secretariat of Foreign Affairs (SRE)

Mexican Industry

• José Treviño, President of the Mexico-Canada Business Committee at the Mexican Council for Foreign Trade, Investment and Technology (COMCE)- (Co-Chair of TIIWG) 
• Gabriela Rodríguez, Advisor at COMCE 
• Liliana Reyes, Chief Executive Officer at Mexican Association of Private Capital, A.C. (AMEXCAP)