Central America and Mexico reaffirm their commitment to enhancing protection and promoting durable solutions for displaced people

BELIZE CITY, Belize - The member States of the Comprehensive Regional Protection and Solutions Framework (MIRPS) - Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Panama - adopted the Belize City Declaration today, reaffirming their commitment to enhance protection and promote durable solutions for displaced people in Central America and Mexico.

Adopted during the VII Annual Meeting, the Declaration aims to expand partnerships and strengthen coordinated regional responses to displacement, highlighting the importance of cooperation with key stakeholders and other regional mechanisms to streamline efforts and avoid duplication in the response. Additionally, the document prioritizes strengthening asylum systems, investing in jobs and livelihoods, and expanding access to education and health services.

The VII MIRPS Annual Meeting brought together ministers and high-level representatives from member countries, donors, international financial institutions, civil society organizations, the private sector, and academia. Participants highlighted national and regional progress aligned with over 150 commitments made by States. However, they stressed the need to bolster regional responses and mobilize resources to support more than 2.4 million displaced people in and from Central America and Mexico.

Belize, as the MIRPS Pro-tempore Presidency in 2024, played a pivotal role in advancing regional and national commitments. "As we reflect on these achievements, let us recommit ourselves to the vision of MIRPS: a region that stands united in its resolve to protect, assist, and empower displaced persons. Together, we are turning challenges into opportunities and delivering tangible results for the most vulnerable." stated John Briceño, Prime Minister of Belize.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, acknowledged MIRPS as a model for regional cooperation. "Together, the MIRPS and the MIRPS 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 us seize opportunities to strengthen our commitments and secure a better future for all those on the move: for refugees, for displaced people, for stateless people, for those returning to their countries, and for their host communities in Central America and Mexico," noted Grandi.

"The OAS General Secretariat is pleased to have provided technical knowledge and tools for strengthening institutional capacities to improve MIRPS states responses and will continue contributing to these efforts along with UNHCR as the Technical Secretariat of this mechanism. I want to also highlight the crucial role of the MIRPS FUND established at the OAS, as a complementary mechanism for raising and channeling financial resources to strengthen the responses of the MIRPS States and their national action plans in line with the MIRPS objectives," commented Nestor Mendez, Assistant Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS).

The international community, through the MIRPS Support Platform and the MIRPS Fund, managed by the OAS Department of Social Inclusion, has been instrumental in mobilizing resources to support MIRPS countries. During the meeting, the United States of America officially concluded its presidency of the Support Platform, with Colombia set to take on this role in 2025, continuing the joint efforts of platform members.

At the close of the VII Annual Meeting, Belize transferred the MIRPS Pro-tempore Presidency to Costa Rica, which will lead the mechanism in 2025. This transition symbolizes the continuous and collective commitment of member countries to addressing displacement and offering solutions for millions in Central America and Mexico.

About the MIRPS:

The Comprehensive Regional Protection and Solutions Framework (MIRPS) includes Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Panama. The MIRPS is an innovative mechanism for the implementation of the Global Compact on Refugees to encourage regional cooperation among countries of origin, transit, and destination for greater shared responsibility for prevention, protection, and durable solutions in the face of growing displacement in Central America and Mexico. UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), and the Organization of American States (OAS), through its Department of Social Inclusion (DSI), provide support as the MIRPS Technical Secretariat.

About the MIRPS Support Platform:

The MIRPS Support Platform was launched in December 2019 to support the efforts of the MIRPS countries. It aims to mobilize support from the widest possible range of stakeholders. Currently, the Support Platform is comprised of Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, the European Union (EU), France, Spain, Switzerland, Uruguay, the United States of America, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the World Bank Group, the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI), the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC). The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Organization of American States (OAS), through its DSI, serve as the Platform's Technical Secretariat.