| 2017 CAS St. Anthonys summit | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Host country |
 Superior |
| Date | December 17–20, 2017 |
| Venue(s) | Madrigal Center |
| Cities | St. Anthonys, Superior |
| Participants |
CAS members Guest invitees: Australia, Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Japan, Korea, Luzon, New Zealand, South Vietnam, United Kingdom |
| Follows | 2016 CAS Philadelphia summit |
| Precedes | 2018 CAS Seattle summit |
The 2017 CAS St. Anthonys summit is the twenty-sixth Extraordinary Session meeting of the Conference of American States that runs for four days from December 17 to 20. It is currently in session in the city of St. Anthonys, Superior. It marks the third time Superior has hosted the annual summit, previously hosting in 1996 and 2004. The Extraordinary Session meeting is a culmination of the Conference's year-long activities and policymaking, and is the one meeting where the heads of states and governments of each member state are invited to convene together in order to discuss the future plan and agenda in the upcoming year. The Session is hosted and run by the American Secretariat, under the direction of CAS Secretary General Johann Hauptmann. Representatives from the American Council and American Parliament are also in attendance, to hold a concurrent special parliamentary session alongside the Summit leaders.
The 2017 summit is focusing on numerous issues including the expansion of the Amero common currency zone, security concerns with Mexico, the upcoming 2018 Sierrexit referendum, the prospective membership of Colombia, terrorism, disaster relief and preparedness, and the environment.
It is the fourth time the entirety of the main event has been televised and broadcast live for the general public. It also the first summit to invite delegates from non-CAS members, with 10 countries participating as guest nations in attendance.
Agenda[]
In accordance to Article 42 in the General Charter of the Conference of American States, the Conference must hold an Extraordinary Session meeting once every year, in order to review and discuss any legislation still on the floor in the Conference Legislature. In addition, member states convene to vote for the Secretary-General and other key positions in the American Secretariat.
On October 22, 2017, in preparation of the Extraordinary Session, the American Secretariat released a preliminary 30-page agenda for the 2017 summit. It outlined a number of key issues confronting the Conference and its member states, including matters regarding continental security, terrorism, labor rights, economic inequality, environment, immigration, and internal disagreement. The Secretariat recommended reevaluating the Conference's existing treaties and agreements, arguing the Conference was in need of strengthening the CAS military and collective defensive capabilities. The American Parliament rejected pushes for increased centralization of international defense, while the American Council concurred with the Secretariat.
Another important issue added to the Session agenda were concerns over the military activity of Mexico, a non-CAS member in North America. The Conference of American States International Affairs Office released a report condemning Mexico for its "belligerence" and expressed concern over the recent 2016 Mexico presidential elections, where incumbent President Pablo Hidalgo de Veracruz won in a highly contested, potentially rigged election. Mexico also increased its naval presence in the Sea of Cortez, which heightened tensions between it and Sierra, a CAS member state. The International Affairs Office recommended placing economic sanctions against Mexico and freezing overseas assets owned by members of the Mexican government, in response to Mexico's interference with the elections of its Central American neighbors.
Pushes towards the adoption of a monetary and currency union tentatively called the Amerozone is also a topic that was raised for the Extraordinary Session. As of the summit, the Conference already had the American Customs Authority, which oversees a non-binding monetary policy for the Conference and assesses the financial health of its member states. The Secretariat has proposed expanding the powers of the American Customs Authority to become a central bank, which would be able to circulate and control the Amero, a common currency for use by the Conference's member states.
Other major themes that prevailed during the Summit included issues surrounding environmental regulations, labor protections, international terrorism, mass surveillance program concerns, evaluation of Colombia as a prospective member, and economic health.
Events[]
Results[]
Participants[]
List of national leaders who attended the Extraordinary Session meeting:
.jpg "Nicholas II (Tom Muclair).jpg (34 KB)")
.jpg "Sylvain Lovel (Kobe Bryant).jpg (63 KB)")
See also[]
| |||||||||||
