Protecting people on the move and stateless people has been the main topic at the first regional consultation of the C+40 Process, which was held in Mexico

MEXICO CITY – Convened by Chile and Mexico, the first Thematic Consultation of the Cartagena+40 Process took place at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in Mexico City.

The consultation “Protecting people on the move and stateless people” was inaugurated yesterday by Ruvendrini Menikdiwela, UNHCR Assistant High Commissioner for Protection; Ambassador Rodrigo Olsen, Foreign Policy Secretary General of the Chilean Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and Alicia Bárcena, Mexican Secretary of Foreign Affairs. The consultation was held to mark the 40th anniversary of the adoption of the 1984 Cartagena Declaration on Refugees.

For two days, focusing on the protection of people on the move and stateless people, government officials – from Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador,
El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela – discussed current and future challenges in Latin America and the Caribbean.

More specifically, these countries shared good practices, which will be the basis of a joint strategic roadmap that, for the next ten years, will guide the actions to be taken, strengthen the humanitarian response, and help find durable solutions for host communities and people in need of international protection in the region.

Refugee-led and civil society organizations, the private sector, the academia, Ombudsman’s offices, local authorities, development and financial entities, as well as international bodies agreed that, in line with the Global Compact on Refugees, which was adopted in 2018, a comprehensive protection approach should be a priority in the Chile Plan of Action.

Ambassador Rodrigo Olsen highlighted that “in contrast with other regional or sub-regional meetings, the Cartagena Process gathers all Latin American and Caribbean countries to reflect on and look for, solutions to current needs, which are urgent and diverse. Additionally, the Cartagena Process allows us to anticipate and respond to the needs that could arise within the next ten years.” 

“Cartagena is a valuable opportunity that materializes the principles of solidarity, cooperation, and shared responsibility when looking for solutions and strategies to face the legal and humanitarian issues posed by forced displacement,” Olsen added.

Countries will jointly work on the adoption of the 2024-2034 Chile Declaration and Plan of Action, a new regional roadmap. The Thematic Consultation on Protection that was held in Mexico marks the beginning of this process, which is based on regional consensus and achievements. Furthermore, the process will build on the achievements of the Brazil Plan of Action. It is also a regional implementation of the Global Compact on Refugees.

The first Thematic Consultation addressed the needs and challenges endured by displaced and stateless people in countries of origin, transit, destination, and return, as well as the safeguards needed to offer safe and dignified voluntary return as a durable and sustainable solution. It also addressed challenges and protection risks in host countries.

In her opening remarks, Alicia Bárcena, Mexican Secretary of Foreign Affairs, emphasized that a greater commitment is urgently needed to tackle the causes that urge people to leave their countries to seek international protection. Similarly, she mentioned that vulnerable people – including women, girls, boys, adolescents, older people, people with disabilities, LGTBIQ+ people, and indigenous people – require specific and differentiated attention and that the protection given to them must be urgently reinforced.

Additionally, Alicia Bárcena stressed that the mechanisms intended at including and empowering refugees must be broadened to further refugees’ self-reliance by enhancing host communities’ capacities, improving socio-economic integration, and fostering refugees’ active participation in society, considering that multiple actors should be held accountable.

The following consultations will be held in May and June (in Brazil and Colombia, respectively). Additionally, there will be a specific debate on challenges and solutions in the Caribbean. The Cartagena+40 Process will come to an end by December 2024. To mark its conclusion, a ministerial meeting will be held in Santiago de Chile, where the Declaration and the Plan of Action for the next ten years will be adopted.

“The Cartagena Process is the main contribution made by Latin America and the Caribbean to the progressive development of refugee international law. Therefore, it is an essential tool to provide protection to people forced to flee in the American continent,” UNHCR Assistant High Commissioner for Protection, Ruvendrini Menikdiwela, stated. “The Chile Plan of Action will provide a common roadmap, as well as a common perspective, to implement the pledges made at the Global Refugee Forum – considering that both the Plan of Action and the Refugee Forum are based on the principles of solidarity, cooperation, and shared responsibility,” she added.

For further information, please contact:

• In Mexico City: Silvia Garduno, [email protected],  +52 1 55 2848 7440
• In Panama City: Luiz Fernando Godinho, [email protected], +507.6356.0074