On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the 1984 Cartagena Declaration on Refugees, Governments of Latin America and the Caribbean met on 2 and 3 December 2014 at a Ministerial Meeting in Brasilia, where they adopted a common roadmap to address new displacement trends and end statelessness within the next decade.

The result of the conference was the “Cartagena Declaration on Refugees”, which has become an example of how, through solidarity and international cooperation, situations of forced displacement in the Americas can be effectively addressed.

In the year that commemorates the 30th anniversary of the Cartagena Declaration, we celebrate our accomplishments in the region with relation to the protection of refugee, displaced and stateless persons, promoting further reflection on the new challenges and the problems that remain.

Throughout 2014, the commemorative process “Cartagena+30” will allow the governments of Latin America and the Caribbean to adopt a new strategic framework, based on measurable results, to drive and strengthen protection and durable solutions for refugee, stateless and internally displaced persons, as well as other vulnerable groups that need security in the region.

Cartagena+30 is presented as a strategic process in which the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean, in addition to celebrating achievements and advances, promote a reflection on the challenges that lie ahead in terms of protection for refugees and the internally displaced. The final objective is a plan of action under the heading “Spirit of Cartagena”, which would consider the current needs for international protection and offer a more practical framework for the identification of solutions in the continent.