U.S. – MEXICO STATE ALLIANCE PARTNERSHIP

The U.S. – Mexico State Alliance Partnership is a collaborative, multi-branch alliance aimed at strengthening cooperation among state officials and institutions of the United States and Mexico. The Alliance Partnership promotes and convenes binational exchanges and workshops among border legislators, attorneys general, treasurers, lieutenant governors, and local officials, as well as academic and policy institutions, to enhance the role of state and local/regional officials in addressing shared public policy concerns that transcend international borders. 

The Alliance Partnership is comprised by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Council of State Governments (CSG) and its Western and Southern regional offices, Conference of Western Attorneys General (CWAG), National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG), National Association of State Treasurers (NAST), National Lieutenant Governors Association (NLGA, The Paso del Norte Group (PDN), Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars – Mexico Institute, and Arizona State University’s North American Center for Transborder Studies (NACTS).

The fundamental goals of the U.S. – Mexico State Alliance Partnership are to:

• Assist U.S. and Mexico border state legislatures perform an expanded policy and governance role to address common concerns along the 2,000- mile border region through the ongoing implementation of the Border Legislative Conference;

• Strengthen and expand binational exchanges and activities among state attorneys general of Mexico and the United States through the alliance established by CWAG, NAAG, and Mexico’s National Conference of Attorneys General, particularly through binational policy exchanges and investigative and prosecutorial capacity training seminars;

• Convening binational economic development and competitiveness exchanges among state executive branch officials, including Treasurers, Lt. Governors and others aimed at exchanging “best practices” and linkages in public financing strategies, infrastructure planning, access to capital and tourism, among others;

• Strengthen policy and academic research capabilities, as well as state – federal dialogue, of the Alliance Partnership through the linkages and synergies with the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars – Mexico Institute and Arizona State University’s North America Center for Transborder Studies. 

• Support the U.S. and Mexico federal governments in the implementation of their joint strategy, as part of the next phase of the Merida Initiative, to strengthen and create resilient border communities by establishing partnerships with local border stakeholders and groups, such as The Paso del Norte Group. Such partnerships will assist in the convening of local and regional binational exchanges that integrate local/regional policy objectives with state and federal decision-makers. 

The Alliance Partnership promotes the integration of activities and outreach with other binational mechanisms, such as the Border Governors Conference, so that concrete policy objectives and reforms can be achieved through a strategic, multi-branch and multi-jurisdictional approach. The Alliance partners, their respective members, networks and linkages comprise a broad and influential coalition that can affect change. The Alliance Partnership is an innovative mechanism of cooperation that enables dynamic synergies and cross-jurisdictional cooperation. 

Financial support for the Alliance Partnership is provided by a grant of the USAID, along with significant in-kind and direct support by participating partners and their respective member states, as well as financial contributions by private sector stakeholders. The Alliance Partnership is administered by CSG. For more information about the Alliance Partnership, please contact Edgar Ruiz, CSG-WEST Deputy Director, at (916) 553-4423 or via email at eruiz@csg.org.

(Click here for printer friendly version of this document)