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Carleton University Canada-US Project

You are invited to participate in a one-day conference to discuss recommendations to advance Canadian interests with the next US Administration and Congress.

Sunday, December 28, 2008

Government Conference Centre, 2 Rideau Street, Ottawa 

December 8, 2008

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During the past nine months, a group of experts, Canadian and American, have prepared a series of policy papers addressing themes that will be critical to Canada-US engagement. These include the border, defence cooperation, the Arctic, the energy-environment nexus, competitiveness, institutional linkages, the fallout from the financial crisis, the Americas, and engagement with the United States and other key allies. The questions addressed in each paper (the papers will be available on the project website) and to be discussed at the conference, include:

• What are the key challenges to Canadian interests that arise from current US policies? What changes in US policies can be expected from both a new Administration and a new Congress? How will these changes affect, both positively and adversely, Canadian interests?
• What are the common or shared Canadian and US interests in the issue area? In what respect, if any, do Canadian and US interests compete with each other in the issue area?
• What are the main obstacles to achieving traction on the bilateral policy initiatives that are being recommended in the issue area?
• What key policy and political initiatives should the Canadian government pursue with the new US Administration to promote Canada's interests?

The discussions at the conference will inform a strategy document on effective Canadian engagement of the next US Administration that will be presented to the Prime Minister and premiers on January 20, 2009, the US presidential inauguration. While this is an independent project, organized out of Carleton University, it has been undertaken with the knowledge and support of the federal government, with parliamentary, provincial government, and private sector involvement and sponsorship. Our advisory committee includes representatives from Government (federal and provincial), the private sector (including the Canadian Council for Chief Executives and the Canadian Chamber of Commerce), as well as the not-for-profit sector.

We encourage you to make your reservation ASAP with Jane Imai (613-520-2600 ext. 8108 or CTPL@Carleton.ca) at the Centre for Trade Policy and Law using the registration form as space is limited. The registration fee for the day-long event and concluding reception is $350 + GST. For further information please contact Marta Wozniak at the Centre for Trade Policy and Law at 613-520-2600 ext. 2924 or Marta_Wozniak@carleton.ca.

The project is co-chaired by Derek Burney, former Canadian Ambassador to the United States and Fen Hampson, Director of Carleton University's Norman Paterson School of International Affairs. Colin Robertson is on loan from the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade to direct the project, and the Centre for Trade Policy and Law at Carleton University has provided the secretariat.

This conference will be held under the Chatham House Rule.

Sponsor(s): Canadian Studies Program