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César Parga
Section Chief
Section of Competitiveness, Innovation and Technology
- cparga@oas.org
Acknowledgements
The ACE as a Program of Excellence
The United States Conference of Mayors recognized the ACE
Only one year after launching the ACE program, in June 2015 during the 83rd Annual Meeting, the United States Conference of Mayors urged communities across the country to host and participate in the ACE program.
Source: The United States Conference of Mayors, 83rd Annual Meeting
The Conference of Mayors concluded that prior editions of the ACE program “have proven to be successful in reducing transaction costs for the global exchange of information, products, and ideas; eliminating barriers to commerce and trade; reducing business transaction risk; accelerating business, trade, and commerce transactions; and creating economic opportunity and development between, among, and within participating economies.”
The resolution is available here.
The U.S. Department of Commerce and the OAS Signed a Cooperation Agreement to Boost the ACE Program
On April 16, 2016, during the ACE 5th Edition of the program that took place in Arizona and California, United States, the U.S. Department of Commerce and the Organization of American States (OAS) signed a cooperation agreement to enhance economic development in the Americas.
The cooperation agreement is available here.
North American Leaders’ Summit Features ACE as Part of the Joint Working Plan
On June 29, 2016, the President of the United States, Barack Obama, met with the Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, and the President of Mexico, Enrique Peña Nieto, in Ottawa, Canada, during the North American Leaders’ Summit. They announced initiatives to enhance North America’s inclusive and sustainable economic competitiveness and solidify regional and global cooperation. A key component of the joint working plan was the ACE program, as an effective mechanism to promote women-owned SMEs, increase women’s economic participation in entrepreneurship, reciprocal cluster maps, and provide inclusive business growth opportunities.
The Fact Sheet of the Summit is available here.
U.S.-UK Trade and Investment Working Group strengthened UK participation in ACE
The United Kingdom and the United States held the Fourth Meeting of the U.S.-UK Trade and Investment Working Group on July 10 and 11, 2018. The Working Group, established in July 2017, is focused on providing commercial continuity for U.K. and U.S. businesses, workers, and consumers. As the U.K. leaves the E.U., it is also exploring ways to strengthen trade and investment ties. In this context, the United States and the Organization of American States invited the United Kingdom to the ACE 10 that took place in Northern California, United States, from October 21 to 27, 2018, to explore potential public-private sector partnerships.
A summary of the Meeting is available here.
Video of the Regular Meeting of CIDI on August 27, 2018
OAS Secretary General Highlights ACE Outcomes
On August 27, 2018, during the Regular Meeting of the CIDI the OAS Secretary General, Luis Almagro, recognized the ACE program as a key pillar to advance women’s economic empowerment in the Western Hemisphere.
The Regular Meeting was chaired by the Government of the United States represented by Ambassador Carlos Trujillo in which the Senior Advisor to the U.S. President Ivanka Trump participated as the keynote speaker.
NADO Adopted a Resolution Supporting the Expansion of ACE
Building on the abovementioned Resolution of the Conference of Mayors, on June 1, 2019, the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) adopted a resolution in support of the expansion of the ACE. In the resolution, NADO urged the U.S. Administration to continue working with communities across the country to host and participate in ACE to create the conditions for economic growth and opportunity. They would work with businesses, universities, communities, and workers to promote job creation, economic growth, sustainable development, and improve standards of living in the United States and within the Western Hemisphere.
The resolution is available here.
OECD Publication Presents ACE as a Successful Mechanism
The ACE Network was featured in a report of the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD). In 2019, the Global Partnership Initiative (GPI) on Effective Triangular Co-operation published the report “Triangular Co-operation in the Era of the 2030 Agenda” prepared by the OECD which offers information on the status of triangular co-operation. The report shows how innovative solutions to similar challenges and ideas for creative problem-solving are developed. The report presents the ACE Network as a successful mechanism to advance competitiveness and innovation in the Americas as the “ACE provides a solid networking platform, streamlining knowledge-sharing and providing valuable context, validation, and inspiration to design or refocus competitiveness policies and programs in participating countries and institutions.”
The report is available here.
OAS/CIDI Meeting Recognized ACE as RIAC’s Flagship Program
Video of the Virtual Meeting of CIDI on June 30, 2020
On June 30, 2020, in the Virtual Meeting of CIDI to inaugurate the Government of Ecuador as Chair Pro Tempore of the Inter-American Competitiveness Network (RIAC), the ACE was recognized by the Government of the United States and CIDI as RIAC’s flagship program. It is now the premier economic development, innovation, and entrepreneurial network of the Americas and is playing an important role in re-establishing economies in the region impacted by the pandemic.
