By Kay Scrimger
June 28, 2010

Led by International Affairs Committee Chair Doral (FL) Mayor Juan Carlos Bermudez, the International Affairs Committee discussed international trade and investment, the Covenant of Mayors of the European Commission, and an update on non-proliferation of nuclear weapons.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Essa Al Khalifa, Chief Executive of the Economic Development Board of the Kingdom of Bahrain, discussed the benefits of trade and investment with his country.

An island of the coast of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain is about the size of Oklahoma City, he said, but in economic growth and development is equivalent to India.

Sheikh Mohammed urged mayors to consider the benefits of increasing their cities- exports and jobs by working with the Bahrain Economic Development Board to explore investment there. He noted that Forbes magazine has called Bahrain the "best country for business in the Gulf," boasting a multicultural and skilled work force. As a further advantage, Bahrain has no corporate or income tax, and investors can repatriate all their profits.

Deputy Trade Representative of the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, Myesha T. Ward described the many ways through which the Trade Representative's Office can assist mayors and their city governments.

She emphasized the importance of the President's new initiative and emphasis on exports, and U.S. Trade Representative and former Dallas (TX) Mayor Ambassador Ron Kirk's initiatives to encourage trade and increase jobs in U.S. cities.

Discussing the importance of trade, Ward pointed out that, "One in three workers jobs in the U.S. is related to trade."

Like the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, the Covenant of Mayors is an ambitious pledge by cities in Europe to protect the environment and fight climate change.

Pedro Ballesteros Torres, Principal Administrator of the Covenant of Mayors, described the two-and-a-half year old effort of the European Commission to gain the commitment of cities to reduce carbon emissions (from the baseline of 1990) by 20 percent by the year 2020.

Ballesteros described his hope that the Covenant of Mayors and The U.S. Conference of Mayors will seek ways to work together and share information on their efforts in climate protection. "Cities and mayors must be recognized," he said "for their critically important work on climate protection," and "we must create systems of cooperation" to achieve climate protection together.

Mayors for Peace North American Representative Jackie Cabasso updated for the committee on recent negotiations of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference at the United Nations in May 2010.

For decades, the Conference of Mayors passed strong policy calling for nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation. Committee member Pleasanton (CA) Mayor Jennifer Hosterman discussed the resolution offered for the 78th Annual Meeting and urged mayors to support it.

• Reimbursing Local Law Enforcement Agencies for Expenses Incurred During Dignitary Visits Sponsored by the United States Secret Service and the U.S. Department of State Requirement Local Law Enforcement Support — urges the Administration and the Congress to reimburse local law enforcement agencies for expenses incurred in providing direct support to federal agencies for dignitary protective visits.

• Resolution in Support of the Collective Agreement on Gun Violence Signed by Global Mayors Assembled at the 2010 Richard J. Daley Global Cities Forum, Chicago, Illinois — calls on The U.S. Conference of Mayors to support the goals of the resolution signed by mayors at the Global Cities Forum — which calls upon national governments to help address the issue of global gun trafficking and gun violence.

• Urging Parole for All Haitian Beneficiaries of Approved Immigrant Visa Petitions and Expedited Consideration and Approval of All Pending Immigrant Visa Petitions — urges the Administration to promptly parole into the United States all Haitian beneficiaries of approved immigrant visa petitions and to permit them to legally work in the United States, and to expedite consideration and approval of all pending but not yet approved immigrant visa petitions.

• Supporting U.S. Participation in Global Elimination of Nuclear Weapons and Redirection of Nuclear Weapons Spending to Meet the Needs of Cities — calls for a Nuclear Weapons Convention by 2020, Senate ratification of the new START Treaty and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, and for redirection of present funding for nuclear weapons to meet urgent needs of cities;

• Support for U.N. Millennium Development Goals Through Local Observances, September 17-19, 2010 — calls upon mayors to consider local events and activities in support of the United Nations overall goals for reduction of poverty, infant and maternal mortality rates, better education, greater environmental sustainability, and other efforts for global betterment.