The governments of Canada, Mexico and the United States of America have convened a three-day Subject Matter Expert Exchange to foster collaboration among government officials*, industry leaders and security professionals to discuss joint efforts in countering uncrewed aerial system (UAS) threats to the 2026 FIFA World Cup. “Through these last three days, experts from the partner nations shared relevant best practices, fostering a productive exchange that advanced our collective efforts to ensure a secure World Cup,” a joint statement reads.
As part of the trilateral effort, the countries will strengthen public-private coordination and address policy and technology gaps that may impact their ability to respond effectively to joint challenges.
The exchange included an industry roundtable that provided a platform for dialogue and innovation, enabling the three governments to identify lessons learned, explore solutions and enhance preparedness to confront evolving threats. The collaboration over these three days is the first of a series of events that reflect the shared commitment to regional security and developing strategies to use and mitigate threats posed by emerging technologies.
*Present at the meeting were the Secretary of Foreign Affairs of Mexico, Dr. Juan Ramón de la Fuente; the Government of Mexico’s Representative for the FIFA World Cup, Ms. Gabriela Cuevas; the Executive Director of the White House Taskforce for the FIFA World Cup, Mr. Andrew Giuliani; Mr. Paul Watzlavick, Senior Official of the Bureau of Arms Control and Nonproliferation at the U.S. Department of State; Mr. Michael Jensen, Senior Director for Western Hemisphere Affairs at the U.S. National Security Council; His Excellency Cameron MacKay, Ambassador of Canada to Mexico; Mr. Roberto Velasco, Head of the Mexican Foreign Ministry’s North America Unit; and Mr. Alfonso Zegbe, Head of the Mexican Foreign Ministry’s Interagency Coordination and Public Diplomacy Unit.
For more information
Department of State – United States
Image: Fixtures will be held at 16 locations (FIFA)
