The Ibero-American Summits Secretariat: Likely Impact on Canada’s Influence in the Americas

The Ibero-American Summits process is being considerably strengthened by the creation of an Ibero-American General Secretariat (SEGIB), to be headed by Enrique Iglesias (former president of the Inter-American Development Bank). The creation of the SEGIB comes at a difficult time for the inter-American system: the OAS is facing financial difficulties, hemispheric free trade negotiations have been suspended for over a year, and countries of the region are seeking bilateral trade agreements with the European Union (EU).

It is suspected that the Ibero-American Summits Secretariat will become a major, if not the major conduit for European funding for projects in the Americas, relieving the OAS of a good portion of its budget obtained from EU sources. The OAS could be further weakened by a shift of member states’ preferences in favour of the Ibero-American Summits process in where they can work without the overbearing presence of the USA, without the challenges posed by the Anglo and Franco Caribbean States, and with the inclusion of Cuba. There is a concern that an economically and politically weakened OAS could quickly lead to a diluted Summit of the Americas process -- these are the only two significant regional fora in which Canada participates.

Project Objectives:

• Assess the political and financial ramifications of the strengthening of the Ibero-American Summits process for the inter-American system and Canada’s influence in the region.
• Explore strategic options for Canada in the face of likely changes to the institutional balance of influence: how could and how should Canada position itself?
• Examine where Spanish investment in the hemisphere has been targeted in terms of sectors and countries, in particular, where there is competition with Canadian investment.
• Position FOCAL as a forward-looking think tank concerned with Canada’s long-term strategic interests in the Americas.