Ministry of Foreign Affairs and UN Mexico sign projects to promote and strengthen the Mexican Model of Human Mobility

Ministry of Foreign Affairs and UN Mexico sign projects to promote and strengthen the Mexican Model of Human Mobility

• Following the 11th session of the Interministerial Commission for Comprehensive Migration Management (Ciaimm) at the Foreign Ministry, Foreign Secretary Alicia Bárcena signed three agreements with the UN to benefit migrants and refugees in Mexico
• The United Nations system reaffirmed its partnership with the Mexican Government to address the situation of refugees and migrants with projects that expand service and coverage
• With these three agreements, Mexico strengthens its commitment to safe, orderly, regular, and humane migration, incorporating gender equality and human rights principles

On behalf of the Government of Mexico, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE) today signed three memoranda of understanding with United Nations-Mexico to expand service and enhance the assistance provided to migrants at the Multi-Service Centers in Tapachula and Huixtla, Chiapas, and the Migrant Integration Centers in Tijuana, Baja California; Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua; and Matamoros, Tamaulipas.

The agreements are part of the Mexican Human Mobility Model, which comprehensively addresses migration and recognizes Mexico as a country of origin, transit, destination, and return for migrants.

During the signing ceremony, Foreign Secretary Bárcena said, "A migrant is a person seeking labor mobility, looking for opportunities and a better life. Therefore, we must humanize human mobility by offering dignity and respect [...] The new narrative demands that we view migration as a regional issue."

The Foreign Secretary welcomed the signing of the agreements and UN Mexico's support. "UNHCR has done crucial work. It has given job opportunities to 40,000 refugees during this administration [...] This is about strengthening our capabilities and addressing the root causes of irregular migration. That's why the Mexican Model of Human Mobility must continue to grow stronger through partnerships," she stated.

Peter Grohmann, UN Resident Coordinator in Mexico, said, "Today we mark a milestone in our collaboration with the Mexican Government by signing these important cooperation agreements. These projects are the result of an unprecedented inter-agency effort in the region and reflect our shared commitment to ensuring that people in a situation of mobility receive the dignified and humane care they deserve."

"Furthermore, these projects align with the Sustainable Development Goals to facilitate orderly, safe, and regular human mobility, with inclusive and quality education, gender equality and empowerment of women and girls, decent work, inclusive and sustainable growth, and protection of labor rights," he underlined.

The instruments signed today that will strengthen the Mexican Model of Human Mobility include:

A specific technical assistance agreement between the Mexican Government and the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) for the financing and operation of the Multiservice Centers for Inclusion and Development.

Under the leadership of the Resident Coordinator's Office and in coordination with UNOPS, the agreement includes the participation of eight UN agencies in Mexico: UNHCR, IOM, ILO, UN Women, PAHO/WHO, UNICEF, UNOPS, and UNDP.

These UN agencies will work jointly with their Mexican Government counterparts to help strengthen and expand the Multi-Service Centers in Tapachula and Huixtla, Chiapas, in terms of infrastructure, equipment, and services, to improve the humanitarian management of human mobility.

It will also address the immediate needs of migrants, refugees, and host communities. This includes supporting labor and educational integration; ensuring international protection and rights portability; promoting mental, sexual, and reproductive health; and combating infectious diseases. These efforts will consider factors such as gender, age, diversity, and inclusion.

The Tapachula Multi-Service Center for Inclusion and Development will begin operations in January 2025. Sixty percent complete, the Center will house offices of the Mexican Commission for Refugee Assistance (Comar) and other Mexican Government agencies, international organizations, and civil society. It will also offer various services that are currently dispersed among various locations in Tapachula.

This center will not engage in migration control activities but will channel migrants according to their individual needs. The agreement with UNOPS will finance the second phase of the Tapachula Multi-Service Center. The first phase, which is nearing completion, was funded by UNHCR donor contributions.

A Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the National System for Integral Family Development (SNDIF), and the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

The MoU will contribute to the socioeconomic integration of migrants in Mexico by providing services that meet their basic needs, as well as information. It will also facilitate access to regular pathways for migration and formal employment at the Multi-Service Center in Huixtla, Chiapas. The project, co-led by IOM and the Mexican Government and set to begin in November, will also expand services for children and adolescents in a context of human mobility.

A Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and UN Women

The Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and UN Women Mexico was signed within the framework of the Mexican Government's feminist foreign policy. It aims to ensure the inclusion of a gender perspective and enhance support for women, youth, and girls in all their diversity affected by situations of human mobility in Mexico.

Women make up half of all migrants. There's a critical need to enhance gender-sensitive protection and support services, as women are overrepresented among victims of violence and crimes such as human trafficking.

This agreement complements the gender-focused projects outlined in the technical assistance agreement between the Mexican Government and UNOPS, including legal and psychological assistance for gender-based violence cases; a framework for promoting equal employment regardless of gender; and the distribution of menstrual hygiene kits in migrant care centers. It is made possible thanks to the generous financial support of Open Society Foundations (OSF).

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which chairs the Ciaimm, leads these projects, which will involve the participation of the Ministry of Interior, Comar, the National Employment Service (SNE), the National System for Integral Family Development (SNDIF), the National Women's Institute (Inmujeres), and the Ministry of Health (SSA), among others.

These projects aim to unite the efforts of federal, state and local government agencies, the UN system, and civil society. Their shared goal is to comprehensively address the needs of people in situations of mobility, guided by humanitarian principles and respect for human rights.