WHEREAS, The presence of foreign embassies and consulate offices is vital to enhancing the region's international reputation and promoting international opportunities, including trade, investment and tourism, to overseas government, businesses, investors and citizens; and
WHEREAS, A section of Massachusetts Avenue in Washington DC, also known as the Embassy Row, serves as an example of how a diplomatic area can evolve as a vital foreign center for promoting international exchanges in government, businesses, institutions, and people; and
WHEREAS, The closing of the Canadian Consulate in Philadelphia in 2012 was a major international loss for the City of Philadelphia and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. In 2011, trade flow between Pennsylvania and Canada totaled over $24 Billion and there are 576 Canadian-owned companies providing over 22,000 jobs in Pennsylvania of which nearly 7,500 are in manufacturing; and
WHEREAS, In the past year, the City has also experienced the threat of closing two more consulate offices - Consulate General of Israel to the Mid-Atlantic Region, and the Consulate General of Italy; and
WHEREAS, There are only four Consulate-General offices left in Philadelphia staffed by the governments of Italy, Mexico, Israel, and Panama. In addition, there are 28 countries with honorary consulates in Philadelphia with no formal offices; and
WHEREAS, The City lacks a strategy for retaining and growing the Philadelphia's diplomatic community; and
WHEREAS, In the 21st Century global economy, global engagement will be a key to creating new opportunities for the citizens, businesses, and institutions of Philadelphia; therefore, a strengthened diplomatic community is critical to retaining consulate offices, attracting new consulate offices, and increasing the overall global profile of the City; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That it hereby authorizes Council's Committee on Public Property and Committee on Global Opportunities and the Creative/Innovative Economy to hold joint hearings to investigate the feasibility of developing a diplomatic area in the City devoted to the promotion of foreign trade and investment.
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