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Thursday, March 27th 2003
Opening session
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A word from the founding president of the North Americain Forum
on Integration
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Christine Fréchette
President and Executive Director, North American Forum on Integration
Christine Fréchette has founded and directed NAFI since
April 2002. With a Master’s degree in International Relations,
she has previously worked for the National Assembly, particularly
as a counsellor for the Parliamentary Confederation of the Americas
(COPA), which has established a network of legislative assemblies
of the Americas. Later, she coordinated the creation of an inter-American
network on linguistic diversity. She has been strongly active with
numerous groups, among them Force Jeunesse, the University Student
Federation of Quebec, and the Federation of Women of Quebec. She
is currently a member of the Board of Directors of the Conseil du
statut de la femme (Council of the Statute of Women).
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Words of welcome
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Jacques Girard
President and Executive Director
Montréal International
Jacques Girard has been President and Executive Director of Montréal
International since 1996. Among other positions held, he has served
as Deputy Minister of Education for Québec, as President
and Executive Director of the Société de radio-télévision
du Québec, as first Vice-president, Publishing, for Groupe
Québécor, and as President of Groupe Québécor.
He currently chairs several boards of directors, including those
of Domtar Inc., the Centre financier international de Montréal
and, until recently, that of the Centre hospitalier de l’Université
de Montréal.
Replaced by
Régis Vigneau
Vice-président principal et secrétaire corporatif,
Montréal International
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Diane Wilhelmy
Deputy Minister Department of International
Relations of Québec
Diane Wilhelmy has been Deputy Minister, International Relations
for Québec since 2002. She has had a long and remarkable
career in the Government of Québec. From 1998 to 2002, she
was Delegate General of Québec in New York. Previously, she
held positions including Assistant Secretary General in charge of
the Secretariat of the Summit on the Economy and Employment and
also responsible for administrative reform, Executive Director of
the Summit on the social and economic future of Québec, Mission
leader of the secretary general to the Conseil exécutif,
Mission leader for the information highway, Assistant Secretary
General for Canadian intergovernmental affairs, and Assistant Secretary
General for the status of women. In the academic field, Ms. Wilhelmy
has been Director, Centre d’études politiques et administratives
du Québec at the l’École nationale d’administration
publique.
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Marc Lortie
Assistant Deputy Minister (Americas)
Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada
Marc Lortie has been Assistant Deputy Minister for the Americas
since July 2001. A career diplomat, he has held many positions within
the Department of Foreign Affairs in Ottawa and abroad, including
those of Minister-Counsellor on Political Affairs in Paris, personal
representative of the Prime Minister for La Francophonie, Canadian
Ambassador to Chile, senior coordinator for federal-provincial relations,
and Sherpa for the Third Summit of the Americas. He has also been
in charge of relations with international media as well as press
secretary to the Prime Minister’s Office. He has been appointed
a Fellow of the Center for International Affairs of Harvard University.
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Keynote speaker
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Guest speaker
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Gerónimo Gutiérrez
Deputy Minister (North America) Department of Foreign Relations
of Mexico
Gerónimo Gutiérrez is Deputy Minister for North America
at the Mexican Department of Foreign Relations. He has worked for
the Department of Finance, the Office of the President and the National
Bank of Public Works, Banobras, in the field of restructuring debts
of states and municipalities. Between 1998 and 2000, Mr. Gutiérrez
was advisor for the parliamentary group National Action Party (PAN)
and directed its discussion group, the Miguel Estrada Iturbide foundation.
As a member of the transition team of President Fox, he coordinated
its 2001 budget. Between December 2000 and January 2003, he directed
the planning, communications and relations with the units of the
Congress for the Department of the Economy. He teaches at the prestigious
Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México (ITAM)
and has collaborated with the editorial section of the daily Reforma.
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North American Investment Fund I
NAFTA has created a lasting trade partnership between two industrialized
countries and one developing country. The dynamic of trade within NAFTA
is limited by the substantial disparity in development between the North
and South. A strategic investment fund, for investment in the infrastructures
of Mexico, could increase Mexico’s capacity to converge toward the
standards of its North American partners, and would promote prosperity
in the southern part of the NAFTA region.
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Chair
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Christiane Bergevin
President SNC-Lavalin Capital inc.
Christiane Bergevin took the helm of SNC-Lavalin Capital in 1997.
Beginning her career in 1984 at Standard Life, she moved on to work
for Export and Development Canada, and joined Groupe SNC-Lavalin
in 1990. She has been engaged in the development of several financial
initiatives including IFPT, Canada’s first international investment
trust, and f cap, the first investment fund for women entrepreneurs.
A member of the management committee of SNC-Lavalin, she also sits
on various financial advisory committees in Canada and is a member
of the Board of Directors of SNC-Lavalin Europe, Spectra Telecom,
IFPT, Tennis Canada, and the Fondation du Centre de femmes de Montréal.
She is also a founding member of the Association des femmes en finance
du Québec. In 2001, she co-founded the Montreal International
Financial Conference.
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Guest speakers
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Robert A. Pastor
Vice-president, International Affairs,
Professor and Director, Center for North American Studies, American
University
Robert A. Pastor is Vice-president of International Affairs as
well as Professor and Director of the Center for North American
Studies at American University in Washington, DC. Dr. Pastor was
Fellow and Founding Director of the Carter Center’s Latin
American and Caribbean Program (1985-98) and was National Security
Advisor for Latin American Affairs (1977-81). He received a Ph.D.
from Harvard University and is author of 14 books, including Toward
a North American Community: Lessons from the Old World for the New.
Dr. Pastor chairs the North American Forum on Integration.
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Louise Beaudoin
Minister of State for International Relations, Minister responsible
for La Francophonie and Minister Responsible for the Observatoire
de la mondialisation
Louise Beaudoin has been Minister of State for International Relations
for Québec and Minister Responsible for La Francophonie since
December 1998. In February 2002, she also assumed responsibility
for the Observatoire Québécoise de la mondialisation.
She has been a member of the National Assembly for Chambly since
1994 and, during her first term in office, was Minister of Culture
and Communications as well as Minister Responsible for the Charte
de la langue française and for the Information Highway. From
1984 to 1985, her duties included those of Delegate General for
Québec in Paris. For nearly ten years after that, she held
various positions at different companies and corporations, such
as Canadair, Téléfilm Canada, the Palais de la civilisation
de Montréal, and the accountancy consulting firm Raymond,
Chabot International.
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Commentary |
Vice-president, Mexican Council on foreign affairs |
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Rethinking the North American Integration: The
Citizen’s Perspective
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Guest speaker
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Frank Graves
President EKOS Research Associates Inc.
Frank Graves, founder and senior partner of EKOS Research Associates
Inc., has directed some of the broadest and most demanding socioeconomic
research initiatives undertaken in Canada. Mr. Graves has also advised
high-level decision-makers in both the private and public sectors
in Canada, and has carried out major studies at the national scale
in various fields: a government focused on citizens, health care,
environment, productivity, identity and feeling of belonging, technology,
and government communications. Recently, he has collaborated in
a study on attitudes of Canadians, Americans and Mexicans on North
American integration, the results of which will be presented at
the Conference.
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Luncheon conference
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Guest speaker
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Pauline Marois
Deputy Prime Minister
Minister of Finance, the Economy and Research
Minister responsible for the Montérégie region Québec
Gouvernement
Pauline Marois has been Deputy Prime Minister of Québec
since March 2001. She is also Minister of Finance, the Economy and
Research of Québec. She has held several ministerial portfolios
since 1994, including those of Minister for Administration and the
Public Service, President of the Conseil du trésor, Minister
of Finance, Minister of Revenue, Minister responsible for Family
Policy, Minister of Education, Minister of Health and Social Services
and Minister Responsible for the Montérégie Region.
She has been MNA for the district of Taillon since September 1989.
She was first elected as MNA for the Parti québécois
in April 1981 in the district of La Peltrie, and then in 1981 and
1985 became Minister of State for the Status of Women, Vice President
of the Conseil du trésor and Minister of Labour and Income
Security. She was also Minister Responsible for the Outaouais Region.
From 1985 to 1988, she was active within various humanitarian associations
including Amnesty International, and participated in the establishment
of the Forum on Employment held in Montréal in November 1989.
In addition, she teaches at the Université du Québec.
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Introduced by |
Robert Lacroix, Rector, Université de
Montréal |
Words of thanks |
Pierre Lampron, President, TVA Interfilms,
President of the Board of directors of the Observatoire québécois
de la mondialisation
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Doing business within NAFTA
The interplay of new realities that are restructuring the markets and
industries in North America call for new strategies on the part of firms.
By means of mergers, acquisitions and strategic restructurings, firms
are exploiting new markets and new regulations that are developing within
NAFTA. How does NAFTA transform ways of doing business? How can these
new initiatives be pursued beyond NAFTA? Can we speak of an integrated
North American market? These are the questions that will be central to
this workshop.
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Chair
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Stephen Handelman
Columnist, Time Canada
Stephen Handelman is an columnist for Time Canada where he has
the column “49th Parallel”, one of the rare regular
columns on North American issues in the North American media. He
is the author of three books, and is a recognized expert on cross-border
issues such as organized crime. Before joining Time, he was a foreign
correspondent for the Toronto Star in Europe, in the Middle East,
in the former Soviet Union, and in Latin America. He holds a Master’s
degree in public administration from Harvard University and is a
member of the Council on Foreign Relations in New York.
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Guest speakers
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Sean Finn
Senior Vice-President Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary,
CN
Sean Finn was appointed First Vice-president, Public Affairs, Chief
Legal Officer, and Corporate Secretary in February 2003. After entering
CN in January 1994, he became Treasurer and Senior Tax Advisor in
August 1996, Vice-president, Treasurer and Senior Tax Advisor in
January 2000, and First Vice-president, Chief Legal Officer, and
Corporate Secretary in December 2000. Mr. Finn was named Tax Executive
of the Year in 2000 by his colleagues. He is currently Chair of
the Board of Directors of the Chambre de commerce du Québec.
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R. Michael Gadbaw
Vice-President and Senior Counsel, International Law and Policy,
General Electric Company
Michael Gadbaw has been Vice-president and Senior Counsel of the
International Law and Policy Group of General Electric since its
creation in December 1990. As president of GE’s international
practices group, he is internal expert on business ethics and control
of international trade. He is a member of the Public Policy Committee
of the GE Fund. Moreover, Mr. Gadbaw is founding president of the
Interest Group on India, President of the Advisory Committee on
International Economic Policy of the State Department, President
of the Bilateral US-Indonesia Committee of the American Business
Council for ASEAN, member of the Board of Directors of the European
Institute, Partners for Democracy, administrator of the American
International Business Council, and member of the US-Egypt Business
Council.
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Commentary |
Stephen Blank, Ph.D., Director, Center for International
Business Development,
Lubin School of Business, Pace University
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Beyong NAFTA
Options for deepening North American Integration
NAFTA has created the largest free-trade area in the world, with 416
million people annually producing goods and services worth over 11.7 billion
US dollars. Since January 1, 1994, the total trade between Mexico, the
United States and Canada has increased by 128% and now exceeds 676 billion
US dollars per year. Beyond free trade, NAFTA has brought about in-depth
integration of the three partners. The development of other initiatives
could ensure the achievement of full potential for North America. Many
questions remain or are emerging at the North American level concerning
transportation, customs, immigration, security, environment, sustainable
development, and more. Renowed analysts and renowned institutions are
advancing the idea of a customs union, or the creation, in the longer
term, of a North American common market. Is this the path to follow?
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Chair
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Anthony Quainton
Anthony Quainton President and CEO, National Policy Association
Anthony C. E. Quainton assumed his position as President and CEO
of the National Policy Association, one of the oldest public policy
organisations in the United States, on February 1, 1999. His nomination
follows a long and distinguished career in the United States Foreign
Service, including his position as Director General of the Foreign
Service and Director of Personnel, Assistant Secretary of State
for Diplomatic Security, Ambassador to Peru, to Kuwait, to Nicaragua
and to the Central African Empire, as well as in various responsibilities
within the department and abroad. He is a member of the American
Academy of Diplomacy and the Washington Institute of Foreign Affairs.
He is also a member of the Executive Committee of the North American
Committee.
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Guest speakers
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Andrés Rozental
President, Rozental &Associates, President of the Mexican Council
on Foreign Relations
Andrés Rozental has been a career diplomat for more than
30 years, having served his country as Deputy Foreign Minister,
Ambassador to the United Kingdom, to Sweden and to the United Nations
in Geneva, as well as in various responsibilities within the Mexican
Foreign Ministry and abroad. He also served as Ambassador-at-large
and special envoy for President Vicente Fox and was elected President
of the Mexican Council on Foreign Relations. He is president of
Rozental & Asociados, an international consulting firm providing
advisory services to both Mexican and foreign companies. He is Chairman
of Grupo Industrial Omega and holds non-executive directorships
in several major European companies and financial institutions.
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Michael Gallagher
Minister-Counsellor for Economic Affairs,
United States Embassy in Canada
Michael Gallagher has been a member of the American Foreign Service
since 1973. He is currently Minister-Counsellor, Economic Affairs,
at the American Embassy in Canada. Previously, he directed the Policy
Section of the Bureau of the High Representative in Sarajevo. He
directed economic and social affairs at the Permanent Mission of
the United States to the United Nations in New York, and before
that, directed commercial and economic affairs at the Permanent
Mission of the United States to the European Union in Brussels.
He was Consul General of the United States in Vancouver, and has
been assigned to the American Mission at the EU in Brussels, to
the American Embassies in Jakarta, London, Tunis, and Abidjan, and
on many occasions to the State Department, Washington DC.
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Thomas d'Aquino
President and Chief Executive Canadian Council of Chief Executives
Thomas d’Aquino is the President and Chief Executive of
the Canadian Council of Chief Executives, an organization that brings
together 150 prominent Canadian business leaders. During his career,
Mr. d’Aquino held positions including that of special assistant
to the Prime Minister of Canada, and was founder and head of Intercounsel
Limited. He has also worked as a jurist specialized in international
commercial law, and as an assistant professor at the faculty of
law of the University of Ottawa. He has sat on many boards of directors
and advisory committees in Canada and abroad. Specializing in several
fields of public policy, he is the author of many publications.
He is co-author of the book Northern Edge: How Canadians Can Triumph
in the Global Economy.
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