Strategic Forum Highlights

November 18, 2021 Roundtable on Rare Minerals and Climate Change
On November 18, the Argentina-U.S. Strategic Forum hosted a private roundtable on the role of rare metals and minerals in supporting a climate-safe future, with a special focus on the role of Argentina’s lithium mining sector. The event featured Dr. Daniele La Porta, senior mining specialist at the World Bank. Dr. La Porta discussed the major changes occurring in the mining sector as demand grows not only for rare earth minerals, but also for the sustainable extraction of these resources. She also discussed the World Bank’s work in this area, including new innovations in mineral and metal recycling, as well as projects to track the environmental footprint of the lithium supply chain.

July 1, 2021, Roundtable on Post-Pandemic Digital Transformation
On July 1, the Argentina-U.S. Strategic Forum hosted a private roundtable on digital transformation in the region post-pandemic. The event featured Dr. Jim Lewis, CSIS Senior Vice President and Director of the CSIS Strategic Technologies Program. Mr. Lewis discussed the future of digital currencies, the relationship between strong education systems and the potential for technological innovation, and the likely displacement of labor by automatons. He also highlighted his belief that the next breakthroughs in digital transformation will occur more quickly than we think, possibly only 3-5 years away.

May 20, 2021, Roundtable on Mitigating the Economic Effects of the Pandemic
On May 20, the Argentina-U.S. Strategic Forum hosted a private roundtable on post-pandemic economic recovery in the Hemisphere. The event featured Stephanie Segal, senior fellow of the CSIS Economics Program. Ms. Segal shared her perspectives on conventional versus unconventional paths to economic recovery, the relationship between economic policies and political popularity, as evidenced by recent events in Colombia, and lessons learned from pandemic responses in Taiwan, Brazil, and the United States. She also highlighted potential positives economic changes as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, such as an increase in rates of investment in digital technologies and big jumps in productivity growth.

April 15, 2021 Roundtable on the Role of the Private Sector in Cybersecurity
On April 15, the Argentina-U.S. Strategic Forum hosted a private roundtable on the importance of cybersecurity in Argentina and the role of the private sector in confronting cyber threats individually and nationally. The event featured Suzanne Spaulding, director of the CSIS Defending Democratic Institutions project and Senior Adviser with the CSIS International Security Program. Ms. Spaulding shared her perspectives on the implications of recent U.S. sanctions on Russia, the importance of business credibility in deterring cyber-attacks, and the link between cybersecurity and democratic processes. She also highlighted capacity building initiatives the attendees should take to deter and confront cyber threats in their own companies, including risk prioritization and the "zero-trust" notion.

March 11, 2021 Roundtable on Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing
On March 11, the Argentina-U.S. Strategic Forum hosted a private roundtable titled “Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing and the Potential Implications on the Bilateral Relationship.” Dr. Whitley Saumweber, director of the CSIS Stephenson Ocean Security Project and Senior Associate with the CSIS Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative, explored the link between IUU fishing and all aspects of society, including food security, the environment, and national sovereignty. Forum members also had the opportunity to discuss the possible effects on the bilateral relationship between Argentina and the U.S. The conversation also touched upon the need for predictive enforcement and visibility, in addition to robust diplomatic engagement, to combat IUU fishing.

February 4, 2021, Roundtable on Who’s Who in the Biden-Harris Administration
On February 4, the Argentina-U.S. Strategic Forum hosted a private roundtable titled “Who’s Who in the Biden Administration?” CSIS Senior Adviser Liliana Ayalde presented the officials and policy advisors who will make up the Biden Cabinet, and she addressed how these individuals could impact U.S. policy towards Latin America and Argentina in areas such as trade, energy, and human rights, among others. She addressed the importance of diversity in his Cabinet, the expected hurdle of confirmations in the Senate, and the unique opportunity to find allies that can focus on energy and economics together.

December 16, 2020 Roundtable on Biden-Harris Administration
On December 16, the Argentina-U.S. Strategic Forum hosted a private roundtable titled “Opportunities in Latin America for the Biden-Harris Administration.” Forum members had the opportunity to hear analysis from Ambassador Earl Anthony Wayne, former U.S. Ambassador to Argentina, Kimberly Breier, former U.S. Assistant Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs, and Ambassador William Brownfield, former U.S. Ambassador and U.S. Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs.

All three speakers, also Senior Advisers with the Americas Program, discussed the incoming Biden-Harris Administration’s foreign policy agenda and how its priorities will affect Argentina. The conversation prioritized themes relating to trade, national security, and other binational interests. It also covered topics such as the role of Colombia as a U.S. ally in the region and potential changes to the U.S.-Mexico relationship. Event takeaways included addressing where Argentina is likely to fall on the Biden-Harris priority list, the difficulties of accomplishing potential new trade agreements given pressure from environmental, human rights, and labor organizations, and the likely changes in U.S. policy towards Cuba and Venezuela.

August 19, 2020 Roundtable with IMF Representatives
On August 19, the Argentina-U.S. Strategic Forum hosted a private roundtable with representatives of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to discuss Argentina’s economic crisis. The event featured Julie Kozack, Deputy Director of the IMF’s Western Hemisphere Department, and Luis Cubeddu, Assistant Director of the IMF’s Western Hemisphere Department. The conversation focused on local and national political restraints to potential economic reforms in Argentina, the importance of generating foreign investment, and barriers that different sectors face in promoting greater exports and generating foreign exchange.

May 14, 2020 Roundtable on Covid-19
On May 14, the Argentina-U.S. Strategic Forum hosted a private roundtable to discuss the distinct strategies Argentina, the U.S. and other countries implemented to combat the Covid-19 pandemic, and the current results. The conversation also focused on the importance of international collaboration in finding a resolution to the crisis. The event featured Dr. Pablo Bonheví, Head of Infectious Diseases at CEMIC and member of the Working Group on Covid-19 of President Fernández, Dr. Oscar Cingolani, Professor and Researcher at the Johns Hopkins University and member of the Johns Hopkins Special Group on Treating Patients with Covid-19, Dr. Sergio Solmesky, President of CEMIC, and Dr. Maureen Lewis, CSIS Senior Associate. Dr. Gines Gonzáalez García, Minister of Health of Argentina, was also present for the discussion.

Judges Program
In October 2019, the Argentina-U.S. Strategic Forum hosted a group of Argentine federal and provincial judges from various political backgrounds to participate in an exchange initiative. This initiative was aimed at promoting better bilateral understanding of the important role the judicial power plays in dealing with critical issues such as transparency, anti-corruption, money laundering, and terrorism finance. The general issue of judicial reform, both in Argentina as well as the rest of the region, was also a priority topic for the group.

This week-long visit included meetings with U.S. judicial counterparts, as well as carefully selected visits and briefings with U.S. government officials at the U.S. Supreme Court, Justice Department, Federal Judicial Center, and State Department, among others. Meetings with selected policy experts, academics, and representatives of international organizations, civil society, and non-governmental organizations were also scheduled. The comprehensive visit helped foster a deeper level of knowledge and exchange between judicial representatives of both countries, and provided participants with a greater understanding on the processes of judicial reform.

Argentina’s Fight Against Corruption
In September 2018 the CSIS Americas Program hosted Laura Alonso, Argentina’s Secretary of Public Ethics, Transparency, and the Fight Against Corruption. Ms. Alonso discussed the work of her office in bolstering transparency and strengthening the institutions of Argentina’s public and private sectors, and her efforts in combatting corruption at all levels of government

Argentina at a Turning Point: An Address by President Mauricio Macri of Argentina
In April 2017, President Mauricio Macri joined CSIS for a public event to discuss the U.S.-Argentina bilateral relationship, his meeting with President Trump, and his policy priorities to combat Argentina’s worsening economic crisis. President Macri also spoke about Argentina’s growing poverty rate, the future of education, and the potential for future trade alliances with the United States and other countries around the world.

Publications/Podcasts

A Preliminary Assessment of Argentina’s Accession to the OECD
In April 2017, Argentina’s minister of the treasury formally announced and presented the Argentina and Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Action Plan to representatives of the OECD member countries. Since that time, this action plan has been advanced through a large number of policy actions, legal reforms, and analytical work undertaken by Argentine government institutions, both executive and legislative, in close coordination with the OECD Secretariat. 

This report highlights the advances that Argentina has made with regards to its economic policies and key areas in which Argentina must demonstrate marked improvement in order to achieve OECD membership.

A Country at a Crossroads: The 2019 Argentine Presidential Election
Senior Associate Mark Jones analyzes the potential impacts of Argentina’s August 11 PASO (Obligatory, Simultaneous, Open Primaries). He explains how the PASO serve as an electoral census in a country where there exists little confidence in opinion polls, revealing the true level of support for each ticket, and assesses the goals of each of Argentina’s presidential candidates, most notably those of Alberto Fernandez and Mauricio Macri, ahead of the October 27 presidential elections.