America: On World Refugee Day, states must prioritize the human rights of those seeking protection in the Americas

On the occasion of World Refugee Day, Amnesty International has issued an open letter to the States Parties to the Cartagena Declaration on Refugees, currently meeting in Bogotá, urging them to put human rights at the heart of their agenda. their new regional action plan for the next decade.

Every year, we see hundreds of thousands of people in the Americas forced to flee their homes, fleeing violence, the effects of climate change and massive human rights violations. Faced with this painful and growing reality, the new roadmap being prepared by the signatories of the Cartagena Declaration for the period 2024-2034 must renew the clear commitment to the protection of refugees, asylum seekers and stateless persons in our region, said Ana Piquer. US Director at Amnesty International.

Every year, we see hundreds of thousands of people in the Americas forced to flee their homes, fleeing violence, the effects of climate change and massive human rights violations.

Ana Piquer, Americas director at Amnesty International.

On 19 and 20 June, the States Parties to the Cartagena Declaration on Refugees will meet in Bogotá for the third thematic consultation meeting of the year, with a view to the adoption in December of the Chile Declaration and Plan of Action, which will provide a framework for action for the next decade. Discussions will focus on the situation of people displaced by the effects of climate change and other disasters in the region. Previous consultations, held in Mexico in April and in Brazil in May, focused on the protection of people on the move and stateless persons, as well as their inclusion and integration through alternative, inclusive and sustainable solutions.

In this context, Amnesty International's open letter focuses in particular on the challenges that remain in ensuring the protection of Venezuelan and Haitian nationals fleeing devastating humanitarian and human rights crises in their countries of origin. It also highlights the opportunities offered by the Cartagena Declaration to provide protection to displaced people from the effects of climate change and slow-onset or sudden-onset disasters.

Amnesty International welcomes the fact that a significant number of countries in the region have incorporated the definition of refugee found in the Cartagena Declaration into their national legislation. However, the organization regrets that in practice, the authorities in most of these countries rarely use this definition to protect those in need, leaving millions without protection and in a situation of great vulnerability. In contrast to obstacles in places such as Chile or Peru, States parties must regain the global leadership in refugee protection that the signing of the Declaration represented 40 years ago, especially for refugee women. Amnesty International urges states to act in accordance with their national and international protection and human rights obligations, and to include an intersectional, anti-racist and gender perspective.

Now is the time for states in the Americas to stand up and commit to protecting the most marginalized population groups in the region. Today, more than ever, we expect states to provide coordinated and sustainable solutions that respect the dignity of those who seek and need protection. The full recognition and implementation of the Cartagena Declaration would be a step in the right direction, added Ana Piquer.

Today, more than ever, we expect states to provide coordinated and sustainable solutions that respect the dignity of those who seek and need protection. Full recognition and implementation of the Cartagena Declaration would be a step in the right direction.

Ana Piquer, Americas director at Amnesty International.

Background information

Year 1984 Declaration of Carthage on Refugees is one of the most important legal, political and strategic instruments for protection issues in Latin America and the Caribbean in recent decades. Since 2004, the region has adopted ten-year action plans notably the Mexico Action Plan and the Brazil Action Plan to address the emerging challenges of displacement. Amnesty International has relied on this instrument for many years to seek international and complementary protection for persons in need of protection in the Americas.

2024 marks the 40th anniversary of the Cartagena Declaration and the start of the Cartagena+40 process, organized by the Government of Chile with the support of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), in which countries in Latin America and the Caribbean have pledged to produce: three regional consultations between April and June, one for each thematic area; negotiations leading to the adoption of ea Political Statement and Chile Action Plan 2024-2034, to be held in Geneva between September and November; and a ministerial eventto be held in Chile, under the auspices of ECLAC, on December 11 and 12, 2024, to finalize the process.

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