High Commissioner's speech at the MIRPS VII Annual Meeting

Honourable Prime Minister,

Assistant Secretary General of the Organization of American States,

Ministers, Vice-Ministers

Distinguished Delegates of MIRPS Countries and MIRPS Support Platform Countries,

Special Guests,

dear friends

Buenos días a todos y todas.

It is a real pleasure to be here with you. First and foremost, I wish to thank the Prime Minister and the Government of Belize for the hospitality and for their commitment and leadership on human mobility matters in the region – not only as Pro Temporare President of the MIRPS, but also the Regional Conference on Migration, another important forum. I had the honour and the pleasure to meet the Prime Minister yesterday and benefit from his wisdom and experience. Thank you again for your leadership in these important matters.

And warm greeting also to the Assistant Secretary General of the Organization of American States, which continues to be a key partner in the MIRPS Secretariat.

Linkages between regional initiatives are critical as we continue to witness conflict, violence, natural disasters, and abuses forcing so many people to flee their homes and doing so using the same routes and means as migrants – hence the crucial importance to work on the many synergies of these initiatives. Having the same country chair several of them, as has been the case with Belize and will be the case with Costa Rica, is an opportunity to eliminate duplications and focus on common goals. 

Because responses to mixed movements require addressing common challenges for governments and communities alike. It is crucial to consider the needs of all people who are exposed to unimaginable dangers in their journeys in search of safety. Clearly, there is no one solution for all, but everyone, regardless of their circumstances, has human rights which must be respected. These rights, in turn, must underpin our collective efforts to respond to their needs, through the MIRPS and other regional and hemispheric initiatives.

And all of us in this room recognize that this is not an easy task. I met myself many people on the move in the Darien, and in other countries in the region. But despite these difficult challenges, we must reject what I often call “the narrative of impossibility.” Let’s not allow ourselves to be overwhelmed by the scale and complexity of these population movements. They are not beyond the reach of practical and legal solutions. On the contrary, this is the time to ramp up our collective efforts, and MIRPS is a very useful forum for this purpose. I thank the Prime Minister of Belize for embracing the notion of “melting pot”, as opposed to one depicting people on the move as a threat. Thank you, Prime Minister, for this fundamental truth.

We have the opportunity here in the Americas – currently hosting every fifth displaced person in the world – to build on the excellent work already undertaken by several governments, including MIRPS states, along with international organizations, development actors, civil society, academia, the private sector, local municipalities, and, not least, refugees, internally displaced and stateless people themselves. Many of these represented here. That is the power of multilateralism done right. This is in fact a new, more comprehensive form of multilateralism in action.

In the last seven years, since the adoption of the San Pedro Sula Declaration, the MIRPS has remained a strong space for solidarity in action and practical implementation of innovative protection and solution initiatives, both at the national and regional levels. This is the spirit of the Global Compact on Refugees, which is founded on the 1951 Refugee Convention. It is also aligned with the Cartagena Declaration on Refugees, which was so forward looking in respect of refugee protection and solutions in this hemisphere.  As we celebrate its fortieth anniversary this year, Latin America and Caribbean countries will once again be pioneers in adopting a new framework for regional cooperation and solidarity to strengthen the protection of refugees, displaced and stateless individuals over the next decade with the Chile Declaration and Plan of Action, which we will launch next week in Santiago.

It is important to reflect, as we do every year, on the achievements of the MIRPS. MIRPS countries have continued to demonstrate strong commitment to enhancing asylum capacity, aiming to establish systems that can swiftly and fairly identify people in need of international protection and offer them effective, tailored solutions. UNHCR remains committed to supporting you – whenever you need guidance or assistance – in strengthening your systems or legal frameworks, as well as finding innovative options for inclusion. We are here to help. 

Likewise, as numbers of internally displaced people continue to grow – in fact doubled in the last decade globally - MIRPS states have also continued tackling root causes of these movements. However, this cannot be done through a humanitarian approach only. It requires peacebuilding and development efforts as well. It requires coordinated and coherent responses involving countries of origin, transit, destination, and return. This is why I would like to commend the support of all stakeholders working together to advance MIRPS objectives in this regard. And this is where the synergies between MIRPS and other initiatives is so important.

The most sustainable model lies in promoting the inclusion of displaced people in national and local structures –employment, education, health care, access to internet, and banking, among other services. The inclusion of displaced people in national systems benefits both refugees or displaced people and the communities that host them. There are some outstanding examples in the region: programmes helping identify skills, linking people to job opportunities, partnering with companies, providing work permits (including for stateless people). But to have a greater impact, more support is needed to these inclusion efforts. As a new and effective form of protection, we should invest in inclusion.  

As we gather today to reflect on the progress made by MIRPS countries, I would like to express my sincere appreciation for the work and contributions of the MIRPS Support Platform members. Since its inception in 2019, this Platform has been instrumental in advancing the MIRPS initiatives and delivering impactful results. I would like to extend my gratitude to the United States, as outgoing chair of the Platform, for its strong leadership, vision and material support. At the same time, I warmly welcome Colombia as the incoming chair and wish you success. As a country that has carried out exemplary efforts on inclusion efforts, I am confident that its leadership will bring renewed momentum and further strengthen the Platform’s efforts to support MIRPS countries in achieving their objectives.

It is essential that the international community redoubles its support and investment. International financial institutions and donors have a critical role to play, and I am encouraged to see many of you here in Belize. Together, the MIRPS and its Support Platform are a great example of how the Global Compact on Refugees can be effectively implemented, delivering both immediate assistance and long-term strategies and solutions for those in need.

Let me quote our 2024 Nansen Global Laureate, Sister Rosita Milesi, who said: “Having a utopia, having a dream, having a conviction to build something better is fundamental. And it is fundamental for refugees.” Let us continue to choose to listen and to engage with refugees and other forcibly displaced, to empower them, so they can cease to be refugees. Let us seize this opportunity to strengthen our commitments and secure a better future for refugees, displaced and stateless people, returnees, and their host communities in Central America and Mexico.

Thank you, for making this choice with us.