The international boundary between the United States and Mexico extends over 1,952 miles, and is characterized by two major rivers — the Colorado River and the Rio Grande — which provide life-giving waters to the largely arid but fertile lands along the rivers in both countries. Numerous boundary and water treaties and related agreements govern the distribution, regulation, and conservation of the river waters. The International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC) is a binational organization which applies the rights and obligations of the United States and Mexico as provided for in these treaties and agreements. Ambassador Alberto Székely will discuss the IBWC and the need to modernize current treaties. He will also cover the utilization of the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo Basin, and the impacts of the current extreme drought.

Ambassador Alberto Székely is a Career Ambassador with the Mexican Foreign Service. Ambassador Székely served as Advisor to the Mexican Foreign Minister (1976-1979), Alternate Representative of Mexico to the OAS in Washington (1979-1980), Legal Advisor to the Mexican Delegation to the Third U.N. Conference on the Law of the Sea (1973-1982), Alternate Representative of Mexico to the U.N. in Geneva (1982-1983), Legal Adviser to the Mexican Foreign Ministry (1983-1991), Representative to the Sixth Committee of the U.N. General Assembly (1983-1990), Member of the Permanent Court of International Arbitration at The Hague (1986 to date), and Member of the U.N. International Law Commission (1992-1996). He has recently been appointed Judge for the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea.