Brazil presents the Quito Process in the Executive Committee of UNHCR
The Pro Tempore Presidency of Brazil represented the Quito Process at the 72nd Executive Committee of UNHCR, held in Geneva, Switzerland, and called for international support for the region.
The Brazilian delegation presented the Quito Process to the 72nd UNHCR Executive Committee, in Geneva, Switzerland, on behalf of the member and observer countries, and in its capacity as Pro Tempore Presidency of this intergovernmental technical body.
The Permanent Mission of Brazil to the Office of the United Nations and other International Organizations explained, at the event held from October 4th to 8th, that the Quito Process is a mechanism that seeks to strengthen coordination and the exchange of good practices to overcome the obstacles that affect the full enjoyment of the human rights of Venezuelan refugees and migrants in 13 host countries in the region and one observer country.
Participation in this forum -the main governing body of UNHCR- is an opportunity for States to present their good practices and challenges in the care of refugees and migrants, as well as to promote greater international cooperation and technical support from specialized bodies.
Commitment of the region
The Pro Tempore Presidency of Brazil noted before the UNHCR Executive Committee that the region is committed to international protection and to safe, orderly and regular migration, and that it considers the legal system and challenges of each Member State, as well as the need for international cooperation, when contributing to the efforts made by countries to assist Venezuelan refugees and migrants.
At the same time, he stressed the commitment of the countries to implement new mechanisms that continue to promote key principles such as family reunification, the strengthening of the asylum and refugee systems, the services provided to migrants and refugees through the temporary Orientation and Reception Centers and Support Spaces, and the work being done to consolidate national capacities in the fight against human trafficking through the implementation of a regional coordination mechanism for its prevention, protection, assistance and prosecution.
The protection of children and adolescents and their access to education; the integration of Venezuelans in responses to the health crisis and their access to national vaccination and HIV/AIDS campaigns; the establishment of large-scale migration regularization programs in different countries of the region; and the Regional Socioeconomic Integration Strategy, which seeks to facilitate access to employment opportunities for refugees and migrants, are some of the clearest examples of the coordinated initiatives being carried out by the States to address the situation.
Brazil's intervention emphasized that in recent years, the Quito Process has been supporting the initiatives that arise from the countries, and that today the support of the international community is more relevant than ever to guarantee the financing of operations in the region and reduce the impact on national health, education and social assistance systems.
The Pro Tempore Presidency of the Process called for the consolidation of the many commitments undertaken and a rapprochement with the Group of Friends based on concrete technical cooperation initiatives.
The Presidency also stressed support for host communities, strategies that reach out to migrant and refugee youth, and groups in vulnerable situations. Finally, reiterated the importance of providing support and funds to existing regional platforms such as the "Regional Response Plan for Refugees and Migrants in Venezuela", coordinated by UNHCR and IOM, to extend this technical and financial support.