Historic Memorandum of Understanding Signed by 23 PanAm Countries to Advance Esports in the Intercontinental Region
PanAm Region, November 2, 2023 – In a groundbreaking display of collaboration and commitment to the advancement of the esports ecosystem, the National Esports Federations, representing 23 countries from the Pan American region, have signed a historic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). This alliance, stemming from conversations that began at the 2023 World Esports Championships in Romania this past August and expanded at the PanAm Esports Development Federation forum at the PanAm game in Chile this October, marks a significant step toward advancing a shared vision for the region.
“Coming together and finding common ground has never been more important. [We] saw that our region when it came to esports development, needed it more than ever,” says Yaqui Núñez-Del Risco Mejía, President of Federación Dominicana de Deporte Electrónico (FDDE) Inc. “That’s why over the summer we [collectively developed] a shared vision and purpose to move forward and vowed to explore the potential behind leveraging the collective power of individual nations. In looking for ways to do this, the success case of the Caribbean region uniting under a similar MoU as the Caribbean Esports Federations Alliance (CEFA) a couple of years ago was the perfect blueprint to materialize this coalition.”
The PanAm Esports Coalition (PEC), composed of National Esports Federations, has collectively acknowledged the importance of cooperation in order to achieve their common objectives. The collaborative efforts of the MoU are founded on a commitment to transparency, accountability, and respect as the core values needed to foster an open dialogue and understanding within the region. The MoU formalizes the intent and goals of the PEC and reflects a large-scale commitment to working together towards a common goal. The signing National Federations have agreed to focus their efforts on four key areas:
Official Recognition: The MoU seeks the formal recognition of all Parties within their respective countries, setting the stage for the full membership of National Federations in international governing bodies, such as the Global Esports Federation (GEF) and the International Esports Federation (IESF).
Education & Game-Based Learning (GBL): With a vision of holistic student growth, this initiative aims to implement esports and GBL educational programs that can positively impact social and economic development.
Standards of Excellence: The Parties are committed to supporting the development of programs that seek to professionalize talent and industry standards, establishing regionally agreed-upon benchmarks and certifications.
Regional Qualification: To sustainably develop and maintain the region's status globally, the PEC will organize recurring regional competitions, which may serve as regional qualifiers for international federations.
PanAm Esports Coalition (PEC)
“[The signing members of the PEC] propose to advance in areas of cooperation, among which the Olympic Movement, Event Development, Education and Research, and the Recognition Movement for Esports stand out,” says Emgelbert Farfán, South American zone representative and President of the Federación Venezolana de Deportes Electrónicos. “This will open a wide range of possibilities for professionalization and cultural, technological, and commercial exchanges of esports between our regions and their different members.”
The MoU will remain open for additional countries and National Esports Federations within the region to join following the release of the MoU. The founding countries of the PEC are:
Argentina
The Bahamas
Bolivia
Brazil
Canada
Chile
Colombia
Costa Rica
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
Guatemala
Guadeloupe
Haiti
Honduras
Jamaica
Martinique
Mexico
Panama
St. Lucia
Trinidad & Tobago
Uruguay
USA
Venezuela
The implementation of the MoU will be led by an Executive Committee of Representatives, elected and designated by the participating PanAm countries during the initial conversations this past summer. The Representatives include Gregory Moore, Caribbean; Felipe Montoya, Central America; Melissa Burns, North America; and Emgelbert Farfán, South America.
“From concept to actualization, the conversations that laid the foundation for the PanAmerican Esports Coalition have focused on identifying the unique strengths within our diverse ecosystems and leveraging the success of individual National Federations to advocate for greater equity and opportunity across the region,” says Melissa Burns, North American zone representative and CEO of Esport Canada. “It has been about creating intentional and purposeful dialogue to elevate the impact of the work that is already being done individually, and pooling together our experience and resources to unify and compound our efforts.”
The signing of the PEC MoU represents a milestone in the world of esports, unifying a diverse region around a shared vision and values that will drive the region's development and open doors to countless opportunities for the esports ecosystem as a whole.
For more information, contact:
CARIBBEAN
Gregory Moore - Jamaica Esports Initiative
CENTRAL AMERICA
Felipe Montoya - Liga Costarricense de Deportes
NORTH AMERICA
Melissa Burns - Esport Canada
melissa.burns@esportcanada.org
SOUTH AMERICA
Emgelbert Farfán - Federación Venezolana de Deportes Electrónicos
