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COLOMBIA, UNITED STATES AND PANAMA
Cartagena de Indias, August 26th, 2024
The Colombian Minister of Foreign Affairs Luis Gilberto Murillo, the United States Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas, and the Panamanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Javier Eduardo Martinez-Acha led the high-level delegation that met in Cartagena de Indias for their Third Trilateral Meeting on Irregular Migration:
Together, they affirmed that addressing irregular migration begins with the recognition of shared responsibility, with a multi-pronged approach and highlighted the great value of the principles and commitments made by the governments of Colombia, Panama and the United States, framed in the pillars of the Los Angeles Declaration on Migration and Protection, in partnership with key international organizations.
The governments of Panama, the United States, and Colombia have a long history of collaboration. Over the last three years specifically, that collaboration has yielded notable results, including the regularization of 2.5 million Venezuelan migrants in Colombia, the establishment of Safe Mobility Offices to provide access to lawful pathways to the United States and other countries for migrants, Colombia's announcement to expand regularization to Venezuelans not covered under its temporary protected status, joint efforts to address human smuggling in the Darien region.
Along those lines, Panama has increased its capacity with regards to repatriating those without a legal basis to remain in Panama. These efforts in the region, and with U.S. support, all contribute to coordinated management of irregular migration management.
The three governments recognize the threats posed by transnational criminal organizations that profit from the exploitation of migrants. Thus they reaffirm their commitment to identifying diverse mechanisms that serve to dismantle these networks and to bring these criminals to justice. Consistent with that, they commit to enhancing information sharing.
The three partner countries recognize that irregular migration flows along the Colombia-Panama border have global implications, involving more than 90 different nationalities some of which have entered the region through third countries. As such, the partners committed to incentivizing dialogue with others across the region to reduce irregular migration, by increasing safe, orderly and humane migration alternatives.
Colombia and Panama emphasized the importance of protecting strategic ecosystems and local communities along their shared border. Consistent with that, the United States is committed to strengthening cooperation on the development of those communities.
Committed to expanding protection mechanisms for migrant populations in each of their territories based on InterAmerican human rights principles, the three countries expressed their will to strengthening migration policies that support efforts for the socioeconomic regularization and integration of migrants, and to promoting and respecting lawful pathways, and advancing actions that protect migrants in vulnerable conditions.
The leaders agreed to implement a plan of action with concrete and realistic steps to strengthen Colombian and Panamanian state presence along their shared border. Along those lines, they committed to improving control and regulation mechanisms, to the sharing of information, and identity verification.
The three countries committed to strengthening their cooperation to disband human trafficking and migrant smuggling networks, improving humanitarian assistance to migrant populations, and to identifying mechanisms for protection for vulnerable groups, considering humanitarian options such as existing mechanisms for transit between countries.
That is consistent with international human rights principles and norms, stemming from a shared responsibility to manage migration in the region, and toward identifying international cooperation that addresses existing development gaps and needs.
The heads of delegation instructed their respective teams to hold a technical meeting no later than 90 days from the adoption of this joint statement and to develop and present an action plan and timeframe that through concrete actions builds on the progress the three countries have made.
Head of Delegation of Colombia
Head of Delegation of the United States
Head of Delegation of Panama
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U.S. Department of Homeland Security