Latin America

Operational Environment and Strategy

At the close of four years of intense negotiations with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), a final peace agreement was signed on 26 September 2016 and put to a nationwide referendum on 2 October 2016.  In a surprise outcome, Colombians voted to reject the peace deal, with the no vote leading by a margin of less than 1 percent. A revised peace agreement, mentioning UNHCR’s role in supporting the protection of IDP rights, was announced in mid-November and is expected to be put to a congressional vote before the end of 2016 to start implementation in 2017. Despite this, UNHCR, together with the UN, welcomed the commitment to maintain a ceasefire and work towards building a lasting peace.  UNHCR will closely monitor the situation as it evolves and continue to provide protection and seek solutions for Colombians who are internally displaced or refugees.

Competition between armed groups and criminal organizations has resulted in violence and displacement, although numbers have reduced in recent years, especially in remote and border areas.  UNHCR will continue to assist people of concern as needed.

Efforts to improve documentation for Colombians in Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) are being undertaken with the support of the Government, namely through a profiling exercise, to identify people in need of international protection.  In Ecuador, UNHCR continues to work closely with its partners and the authorities to pursue the integration of people of concern, 95 per cent of whom are Colombian, and address their protection needs.  An agreement on the enrolment of refugees in the civil registry database, which was reached between the Civil Registry and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility in September 2016, will facilitate access to basic services and employment in Ecuador.  In this regard, UNHCR will cover the cost of enrolment.  With respect to the local integration of Colombians in Costa Rica, UNHCR will focus on gradually improving refugee access to the national social, development, employment and poverty reduction programmes. UNHCR will also address issues relating to the cost of refugee documentation and other administrative barriers.

In Central America, a round table, organized by UNHCR and the Organization of American States (OAS) in San José, Costa Rica, brought together government officials from countries in North and Central America, other interested States, intergovernmental organizations, as well as civil society and relevant humanitarian and academic partners, to discuss the challenges of meeting the protection needs of those affected by the situation in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. At the close of the round table, nine countries released the San José Action Statement, committing to work together to prevent and address the root causes of displacement in countries of origin; enhance asylum and protection responses in countries of transit, destination and asylum; and foster regional cooperation.  The countries concerned agreed to implement commitments as well as individual actions at the national and regional level, with the support of UNHCR and OAS.  A follow-up mechanism was also established to help measure progress.

In the Southern Cone, countries expressed solidarity with countries such as the Syrian Arab Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, by offering various legal pathways for persons of concern, including resettlement and humanitarian visas. Through the “cities of solidarity” programme, UNHCR continues to coordinate with municipalities in the Americas to improve integration opportunities for refugees and together with Refugee Commissions, remove obstacles to local integration. Another key priority will be to implement the recommendations of the Quality Assurance Initiative with participating countries. The MERCOSUR National Refugee Commission Presidents’ Forum will remain a valuable space where UNHCR can advance favorable refugee protection measures. 

As the Brazil Plan of Action enters its third year of implementation, UNHCR will support consultations among States in the region and civil society to measure progress in its implementation.