Pacific Northwest Economic Region

The Pacific NorthWest Economic Region (PNWER) is a collaborative regional U.S.-Canadian organization dedicated to addressing common issues and interests like encouraging global economic competitiveness and preserving the natural environment. The Canadian provinces and territories of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, the Yukon, the Northwest Territories along with the American states of Alaska, Washington, Idaho, Montana and Oregon compose the membership. It is designed to improve cooperation and communication between member jurisdictions as well as improve communication between the public and private sector. PNWER provides the public and private sectors a cross-border forum for unfiltered dialogue that capitalizes upon the synergies between business leaders and elected officials who work to advance the region’s global competitiveness.

Former BC cabinet minister and legal scholar Andrew Petter describes the PNWER as one of North Americas most sophisticated examples of regionalist paradiplomacy.

PNWER has three program areas: Energy, Homeland Security, and Pacific Northwest Innovation Network.

The Pacific NorthWest Economic Region was established in 1991 by statute in the organization's original seven legislative jurisdictions – Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Alaska in the United States, and British Columbia and Alberta in Canada. The Yukon joined PNWER in 1994, Saskatchewan joined in 2008, and the Northwest Territories joined in 2009. From the beginning, all state and provincial legislators were members of PNWER. The governors and premiers were added to the PNWER governance structure in 1993.

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