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From Trade to Innovation to Regional Security, Parliamentarians Confront the New Drivers of Hemispheric Stability

May 22, 2026 | Activity

Photo Credit: Christian Diotte, House of Commons of Canada

The future of work, technological disruption, regional security, sustainable development, and economic competitiveness are progressively converging into a broader challenge for democratic societies across the Americas and the Caribbean: how to translate transformation into resilience, inclusion, and shared prosperity.

As economic fragmentation, accelerating technological transformation, and evolving security pressures are redefining the Hemisphere, ParlAmericas gathered in Ottawa, Canada, for its 22nd Plenary Assembly and the 10th Gathering of the Open Parliament Network to reflect on how democratic institutions can help societies navigate change while advancing shared prosperity.

Hosted by the Parliament of Canada from May 19 to 22, the gathering brought together parliamentarians, Indigenous leaders, youth representatives, international organizations, academics, and private sector actors for discussions that moved beyond economic indicators to examine the broader political, social, and democratic dimensions of trade, innovation, sustainability, and security.

In the lead-up to the gathering, ParlAmericas convened a dedicated meeting on Indigenous women’s parliamentary leadership, bringing together Indigenous women parliamentarians from the Americas and the Caribbean, as well as parliamentarians committed to advancing the rights of Indigenous women and girls. The meeting concluded with the establishment of the Caucus on the Rights of Indigenous Women and Girls and the adoption of its initial roadmap, marking an important step toward strengthening coordinated parliamentary action for their rights, leadership, and full participation in democratic life across the Hemisphere. Chief Dr. Wilton Littlechild, Cree Chief and former Canadian parliamentarian, and Senator Margo Greenwood (Canada), underscored the significance of this milestone, reflecting on parliamentary diplomacy as a tool for coordinated advocacy and collective action across borders.

This focus on inclusive representation and democratic dialogue carried into the broader gathering. Senator the Honourable René Cormier (Canada), Speaker pro tempore of the Senate, and The Honourable Francis Scarpaleggia, Speaker of the House of Commons of Canada, framed Canada’s role as host in relation to a broader commitment to sustaining hemispheric parliamentary dialogue. Their remarks underscored the need for parliaments to remain spaces for cooperation, democratic exchange, and public trust as societies confront interconnected economic, technological, environmental, and social pressures.

Throughout high-level dialogues and parliamentary exchanges, discussions repeatedly returned to a broader question facing legislatures across the Hemisphere: how democratic institutions can remain anticipatory and responsive in a context of geopolitical uncertainty, shifting supply chains, technological concentration, and accelerating economic transformation. Participants reported that parliaments are being called upon to review trade agreements and economic legislation, and also to shape the long-term governance frameworks that influence innovation, competitiveness, security, sustainability, and public trust.

These themes continued through dialogues on innovation and economic growth, which brought together perspectives from the technology sector, development finance institutions, entrepreneurship networks, and regional business actors. Discussions reflected growing concerns that countries in the Americas and the Caribbean risk becoming consumers rather than shapers of emerging technologies if public policy frameworks fail to keep pace with the rapid concentration of technological and economic power globally. Participants emphasized that strengthening competitiveness depends on attracting investment and adopting new technologies, as well as on fostering regional integration, and creating innovation ecosystems that remain accessible to emerging entrepreneurs and smaller actors.

Through this inclusive perspective, youth participation emerged as one of the defining dimensions of the Assembly —building on the commitment set out in the Declaration of the previous Plenary Assembly and Open Parliament Gathering to strengthen mechanisms for youth engagement with parliamentary processes. Young leaders were not only present in discussions, but actively helped shape them. In conversations on artificial intelligence and the future of work, youth delegates argued that technological disruption is reshaping pathways into the labour market itself, as many of the entry-level opportunities that traditionally allowed younger generations to gain experience and economic stability become increasingly automated or precarious. Parliamentarians repeatedly highlighted the value of these intergenerational exchanges, emphasizing that debates on innovation and economic competitiveness cannot be separated from questions of opportunity, participation, and social inclusion.

Security and sustainability also featured prominently throughout the gathering, building on dialogues initiated during previous ParlAmericas activities, notably the inaugural meeting of the Parliamentary Network on Security and the most recent delegation to the OAS headquarters in Washington, D.C. Discussions highlighted how trade-based money laundering, trafficking networks, and illicit markets have evolved into a highly sophisticated parallel economy capable of exploiting the same systems that sustain regional commerce and integration, generating significant impacts on governance, economic stability, institutional trust, and vulnerable communities. Discussions emphasized the importance of distinguishing more effectively between illicit economies and informal economic activity in societies where large segments of the population continue to operate outside fully formalized systems.

Complementing these discussions, trade was also approached through lenses of environmental resilience and human security. As food security and energy security are shaped by global trade dynamics and infrastructure capacity, participants asserted that regional productive integration is necessary to increase countries’ ability to withstand economic and environmental shocks. Furthermore, investments in infrastructure, science, technology, education, digital connectivity, and modern services will shape the region’s ability to compete globally, by building more resilient and sustainable trade systems.

As an integral part of the program, the 10th Gathering of the Open Parliament Network served as a space to connect the broader discussions on trade, innovation, sustainability, and security with the core principles of legislative openness: transparency, accountability, public participation, and ethics and probity. In a context shaped by digital transformation and declining public trust in institutions, parliamentarians advocated for strengthening openness and citizen engagement while improving public understanding of complex policy areas, including international trade and economic integration.

The Assembly also provided space for broader institutional reflection within ParlAmericas itself. Beyond reporting on activities and organizational milestones, President of ParlAmericas Iván Flores García (Chile) and Member of Parliament Patricia Lattanzio (Canada) emphasized the growing relevance of parliamentary diplomacy at a time when democratic institutions across the Hemisphere are navigating polarization, geopolitical realignment, and rising public distrust. Their remarks highlighted the importance of maintaining spaces where parliamentarians from different political traditions and national contexts can continue engaging through dialogue, cooperation, and democratic exchange.

Representatives of ParlAmericas’ parliamentary networks also presented priorities for continued cooperation on climate change, gender equality, open parliament, and regional security, reinforcing the interconnected nature of the organization’s work. Participants additionally recognized the contributions of outgoing Open Parliament Network President German Blanco Álvarez (Colombia), thanking him for his leadership and commitment to strengthening transparency, accountability, and democratic openness through inter-American parliamentary dialogue.

The gathering also marked an important institutional milestone with the Council’s approval of a new associate membership category and the designation of the Parliaments of Sint Maarten and Curaçao as associate members of ParlAmericas. With a delegation from the Parliament of Sint Maarten present in Ottawa, member delegations warmly welcomed this decision as a step that formalizes the participation of parliaments from Caribbean jurisdictions, expands the organization’s hemispheric reach, and reinforces its role as a leading interparliamentary forum in the region.

The event concluded with the adoption of a declaration that reaffirms the role of parliaments in guiding economic, technological, and security transformations through democratic oversight, legislative leadership, and interparliamentary cooperation, ensuring that trade, innovation, and security serve democratic stability, inclusive development, and shared prosperity across the Hemisphere.

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Photo Credit: Christian Diotte, House of Commons of Canada
This activity was made possible thanks to the generous support and hospitality of our host, the Parliament of Canada, together with financial support from the Government of Canada, through Global Affairs Canada.