Having recently participated in a Lima Ministerial meeting earlier this month on the Los Angeles Declaration that was made to address challenges in irregular migration in the Western hemisphere, Guyana has been identified as the co-lead on refugee resettlement.
There are a total of three pillars and 11 committees. According to the United States (US) Department of State in an update on the Lima Ministerial meeting, Guyana and Canada will be co-leading the refugee settlement committee.
This committee is operating under pillar two of the Los Angeles Declaration: “Regular Pathways for Migration and International Protection”. Also participating in that committee are Mexico, Uruguay and the United States.
Guyana was one of the endorsing countries that convened for the Lima Ministerial Meeting on the Los Angeles Declaration to discuss successes, opportunities, and next steps in addressing the challenges posed by irregular migration in the Western Hemisphere.
“Endorsing countries identified concrete and ambitious commitments to maintain the momentum of the Los Angeles Declaration initiative, presented during the Ninth Summit of the Americas in June 2022. The 21 endorsing countries agreed on priority areas for interventions to create conditions for safe, orderly, and humane migration.”
“Partners agreed to work together to advance the pillars of the Los Angeles Declaration: 1) stability and assistance; 2) legal pathways; 3) humane migration management; and 4) emergency response. Participants identified key workstreams under the first three pillars of the Los Angeles Declaration that will develop shared lines of policy action,” the State Department said.
It was explained that these countries volunteered to lead the various Action Package Committees, with each endorsing country committing to participate in at least one Committee to shape its commitments under the Los Angeles Declaration.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Hugh Todd, had at the time participated in the Ministerial Meeting of the Summit Implementation Review Group (SIRG) within the margins of the Organisation of American States (OAS) General Assembly.
The SIRG meeting discussed the results of the 9th Summit of the Americas along with the proposed calendar and working procedures within the framework of implementation of the 9th Summit.
In his remarks, Minister Todd had reaffirmed Guyana’s commitment to the Summit process and committed to working with the Dominican Republic as they prepare to host the 10th Summit of the Americas.
The Los Angeles Declaration, made on June 10, 2022 during the Ninth Summit of the Americas that the US hosted this year, proclaims that countries in the Region will combine their efforts to create safe, orderly and humane conditions for regular migration, while strengthening frameworks for international cooperation.
Guyana for its part has been tackling the migration problem head on, particularly as it relates to properly integrating Venezuelan immigrants fleeing the economic crisis in Venezuela, into the Guyanese society.
Last year, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) representative had pointed out that Guyana is home to an estimated 24,500 refugees and migrants from Venezuela, including some 2500 Indigenous Warraus.
During a meeting with the UNHCR, Foreign Affairs Minister Hugh Todd had noted that the Multi-Agency Coordinating Committee continues to address the influx of migrants from Venezuela. Additionally, he explained that efforts continue to facilitate the ongoing monitoring and other activities geared towards improving the lives of the migrants from Venezuela residing in Guyana.
The Multi-Agency Coordinating Committee is co-chaired by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and, Parliamentary Affairs and Governance and includes representatives of the Ministries of Education, Health, Home Affairs, Human Services and Social Security, Guyana Water Incorporation, Guyana Police Force, Guyana Defence Force, the Civil Defence Commission, International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the UNHCR.
