Trudeau in Mexico for Leaders Summit to Discuss Trade, ‘Diversity and Inclusion’

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Sophie Trudeau board a government plane on January 9, 2023 in Ottawa. Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and a delegation are visiting Mexico this week to take part in the North American Leaders’ Summit, and the focus will be on trade and progressive issues such as “diversity and inclusion” and climate change, according to Global Affairs Canada (GAC) and its U.S. and Mexican counterparts.

“The priorities for the North American Leaders’ Summit are diversity and inclusion, climate change and the environment, competitiveness, migration and development, health and security,” says a statement on the Summit from GAC.

GAC says Foreign Affairs minister Mélanie Joly will be discussing global and regional issues, including Ukraine, Haiti, and Venezuela with her counterparts.

“They will also discuss shared priorities, including democracy in the Americas and collaboration to advance feminist foreign policies.”

The U.S. State Department meanwhile mentions “security” as the first topic of discussion.

U.S. President Joe Biden, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, and Trudeau are to “discuss deepening and expanding our security cooperation and economic partnership as well as increasing coordination on global and regional issues,” says a statement from the department.

The State Department says its Secretary Anthony Blinken, Mexican Foreign Secretary Marcelo Ebrard and Joly will be meeting to work to “enhance North American competitiveness; address climate change; promote humane migration management in the region; improve public health; strengthen citizen security; and advance diversity, equity, and inclusion.”

Mexico’s foreign affairs department also mentions “diversity; equity and inclusion” first in the list of agenda topics for the Summit, along with “the environment; competitiveness with the rest of the world; migration and development; health; and shared security.”

“President López Obrador has said that, for both the bilateral meetings and the Summit, the emphasis will be on a new era in the region that can potentially be extended to the rest of the Americas on the basis of reciprocity, mutual respect and a common vision regarding the prosperity and well-being of North America and the Americas: reducing poverty and advancing inclusion, and respecting young people, women and those who are disadvantaged,” Ebrard said in a statement.

All three countries are currently governed by left-wing/progressive administrations, but López Obrador is the only leader to have been elected as a populist.

Obrador is currently on course to limit the power of the body charged with running elections, on the grounds it has become overly expensive and politically biased. His bill has passed congress and only requires his signature to become law.

Migration and Crime

The focus on diversity and inclusion at the Summit takes place as the migration crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border continues unabated.

Biden visited the border on Jan. 8, the first time since he took office in Jan. 2021, and spent a few hours in El Paso, Texas, a main crossing area for illegal migrants.

The issue of security could also trickle up the agenda for Canada, as its government told travellers in the Mexican state of Sinaloa to shelter-in-place last week due to “widespread violence” from the cartels.

Canadians were trapped in their hotel rooms after cartels set fire to the buses that would bring them to the airport.

The trilateral summit is set to take place on Jan. 10, meanwhile bilateral meetings between the leaders will take place over Jan. 9 to 11.

The three leaders issued a first joint statement on Jan. 9 regarding the latest events in Brazil, where the presidential election has been contested by supporters of conservative Jair Bolsonaro who lost the vote to socialist Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

Bolsonaro supporters, who dispute the result of the election, stormed government buildings in Brasilia over the weekend.

“Canada, Mexico, and the United States condemn the January 8 attacks on Brazil’s democracy and on the peaceful transfer of power,” says the joint statement.

“We look forward to working with President Lula on delivering for our countries, the Western Hemisphere, and beyond,” said the leaders.

The Canadian Press contributed to this report.