SANDAG encourages the public from both sides of the U.S.-Mexico Border to attend its eighth annual Binational Summer Conference, organized by its Committee on Binational Regional Opportunities (COBRO). The free public event will take place on Friday, July 16, 2004 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Multicultural Complex of San Ysidro Middle School. Additional information and online registration is available at SANDAG's Web site.

The focus of the 2004 conference, titled “Cooperation across the California-Baja California Border: Where do we go from here,” will be to analyze the state of our regional interaction during the past 10 years, and develop specific strategies and recommendations to improve border cooperation. “My hope is that the conference will result in better services and strategies that offer the greatest public benefit,” said SANDAG Borders Committee Chair, Crystal Crawford.” Crawford is a Del Mar City Councilwoman and a member of SANDAG’s Board of Directors.

This year’s conference features two panel discussions titled “Setting a Framework and Agenda for Cross Border Collaboration in the Californias,” and “Policy Models for Crossborder Collaboration,” as well as topical breakout sessions. The event kicks off with a keynote address from Arturo Espinoza-Jaramillo, Secretary of Infrastructure and Urban Planning for the State of Baja California, and will include other dignitaries from both countries.

Previous summer conferences have dealt with important binational issues such as education and the economy; energy, transportation and trade infrastructure; communications; ports of entry infrastructure; and border financing mechanisms. These conferences continue to bring together speakers and hundreds of participants to discuss timely topics of binational interest.

The year’s sponsors include SANDAG, the Consul General of Mexico in San Diego, and the Consul General of the United States in Tijuana.

Project Manager: Jane Clough-Riquelme
(619) 699-1909