13th Sol M. Linowitz Forum

The Sol M. Linowitz Forum, established in 1996, is dedicated to improving the quality of debate and communication on Western Hemispheric issues. The forum pays tribute to Ambassador Linowitz, the Dialogue’s founding chairman, and assembles Dialogue members once every two years to address the most important issues affecting the Americas. 

At the forum, Dialogue members meet in plenary sessions, probe their differences, identify cooperative solutions to regional problems, and develop consensus proposals for action. 

Drawing on these discussions, the Dialogue produces a policy report that reviews the main issues and offers recommendations for policy and action – for governments, international organizations, and private groups. The report is published and widely circulated throughout the hemisphere. 

The most recent meeting of the Sol M. Linowitz Forum was held virtually from June 24-25, 2021. The meeting marked the twenty-second meeting of the Dialogue’s members in plenary. Members discussed a range of pressing topics, including opportunities for sustainable growth and technological innovation, climate change, education, migration, and US-Latin American relations in the age of the Biden Administration.

The forum began with policy briefings by US administration officials regarding engagement in Latin America. During the session on economic recovery, participants identified opportunities for regional economic growth while assessing the social ramifications of Covid-19. Members in the session on democratic governance highlighted the importance of hemispheric cooperation, the threat of democratic backsliding, and the role of China in the region. The forum came to a close with its final session on health, where participants emphasized the need to approach health as an international security issue and presented strategies to improve pandemic preparedness throughout the region.