The Brookings Institution today announced the formation of the Partnership for the Americas Commission, a panel of eminent figures who will assess the current state of U.S. relations with the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean. Based on this assessment, the Commission will generate a set of policy recommendations for the next U.S. president with the goal of fostering cooperation across the nations of the Western Hemisphere.

The Commission is the flagship effort of the newly established Brookings’ Latin America Initiative. Research activities for the new Latin America Initiative focus on a wide range of issues, including Cuba’s political transition, the emergence of Brazil and Mexico as regional powerhouses, trade and investment as drivers of change, strategies to tackle poverty and inequality, and the challenges that a changing world economy poses for the region.