2026 North Capital Meridian Diplomacy Forum
On April 15, 2026, Meridian International Center and the US-Mexico Foundation, in partnership with the Business Council of Canada, hosted the second annual North Capital Meridian Diplomacy Forum. This premiere convening on North America gathered 300 delegates from across the continent in Washington, DC to tackle the region’s most pressing challenges and generate innovative, mutually beneficial solutions.
The conversations throughout the day were grounded in a shared recognition of why this moment matters. David Bohigian, Chief Executive Officer of Meridian International Center underscored this point, noting that it’s “true that the world has never been more complex, whether it is policy landscapes or supply chains, from energy disruptions to foreign direct investment, our countries need to work together on security and prosperity.” Across both the morning and afternoon plenary sessions, speakers returned to a common theme: that competitiveness, security, and long-term prosperity in the region depend not just on policy alignment, but on deeper coordination across governments, industries, and societies.
From discussions on supply chains and strategic industries to broader reflections on diplomacy and regional identity, participants emphasized that North America’s strength lies in its ability to act collectively, leveraging what Jose Medina Mora, President of the Consejo Coordinador Empresarial, described as “about 30 percent of GDP worldwide” and what Goldy Hyder, President and CEO of the Business Council of Canada, framed as a region that is “the envy of the world.”
At a time of heightened uncertainty, the throughline was clear: the question is no longer whether this trilateral partnership matters, but how deliberately and effectively it can be advanced together.
Between plenary sessions, including discussions featuring T.H. Christopher Landau, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State, Representative Joaquin Castro, and Representative Marc Veasey, participants transitioned from high-level dialogue to action-oriented engagement, convening in breakout discussions designed to translate ideas into tangible progress and advance concrete pathways for North American cooperation.
Topics included:
- The Power of Three in the USMCA: North America’s Trilateral Advantage
- Building a Resilient North American Workforce
- Global Trends Shaping North America’s Future
- Critical Minerals, Local Stakes: How State and Local Leaders Can Shape North America's Supply Chain Future
- The Real Data Behind North America
- Powering North America: Energy, AI, and Digital Infrastructure
- North American Agriculture at a Crossroads
- Arctic Frontiers: Resources, Security and North American Coordination
- The Future of Finance: Economic Security and Investments
- Beyond the Executive Branch: Legislative Diplomacy and the Future of North American Integration
- Securing the AI Stack at Home: How North America Can Lead by Example Before Going Global
- Trade, Tariffs, and Security in North America
- Approaches to Beijing: Implications for North American Cooperation with China
- Turning Volatility into Value: North America’s Supply Chain Reset
- Advancing North America's Readiness: Strategic Industries
