OEA - CIDI - Resolución CIDI CAM doc 163

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COMMITTEE ON MIGRATION ISSUES OEA/Ser.W OAS/Ser.W CIDI/CAM/doc.163/26 14 April, 2026

Original: Spanish

CONCEPT NOTE

THEMATIC SESSION

“STRENGTHENING SHARED BUT DIFFERENTIATED RESPONSIBILITY IN REGIONAL

COOPERATION TO IMPROVE MIGRATION GOVERNANCE AND INTERNATIONAL

PROTECTION IN THE AMERICAS”

(April 28, 2026) (Prepared by the Chair of CAM with the support of the Technical Secretariat) The Americas region is going through a complex, yet opportunity-filled stage regarding human mobility. Millions of people move within and beyond the region driven by diverse factors, including persecution, violence, structural inequalities, economic crises, disasters, environmental degradation, and the effects of climate change. This context has created growing challenges for countries in terms of migration management, the care of people with international protection needs, and the strengthening of mechanisms for the reception and sustainable reintegration of returning persons. No country can face alone the magnitude and complexity of the current challenges. The transnational nature of human mobility requires a regional approach based on shared but differentiated responsibility, recognizing the capacities, realities, and obligations of each State, while promoting cooperation to manage migration flows in a safe, orderly, regular, and humane manner. Migration governance encompasses the set of norms, policies, and practices aimed at facilitating such management. Although States are primarily responsible for governance at the national level, international cooperation and regional and interregional frameworks are essential to strengthen capacities, harmonize approaches, and ensure the protection of people on the move. In this context, the region has several mechanisms that serve as spaces for intergovernmental cooperation and coordination. Although each responds to specific geographic realities and contexts, they share common objectives: promoting safe, orderly, and regular migration with a human rights

approach, as well as ensuring international protection and durable solutions for migrants, asylumseekers, and refugees. However, the coexistence of multiple forums with their own agendas, mandates, and dynamics creates both opportunities for synergy and risks of duplicated efforts if adequate coordination is not achieved. The region also has a broad set of norms, agreements, and processes aimed at regulating migration and strengthening international protection, as well as supporting their implementation at national and regional levels through coordination with other public policies and international cooperation. These instruments include the Global Compacts on Migration and Refugees, which establish principles and guidelines for international cooperation and the strengthening of States’2 2 institutional capacities. Some of these mechanisms also include spaces for dialogue or participation from actors such as civil society organizations, development partners, academia, the private sector, and international financial institutions (IFIs), among others. The coordination of these actors and spaces is equally indispensable. A multi-level governance approach that encourages the active participation of all relevant actors must therefore be considered. In recent years, efforts have been observed to improve coordination among the various mechanisms towards shared responsibility frameworks that help distribute the costs and benefits generated by human mobility. However, given the magnitude of the challenges, this hemispheric institutional architecture still has limitations. Strengthening coordination, avoiding duplication of efforts, and promoting greater complementarity among existing forums and processes remain necessary. This implies moving toward a common strategic vision that allows for aligning priorities, optimizing resources, and generating more comprehensive, timely, and sustainable responses. Within this institutional framework, the OAS Migration Affairs Commission (CAM) constitutes a strategic space where Member States converge to share experiences and build coordinated responses to human mobility challenges in the hemisphere. Its intergovernmental nature and specialized mandate make it a privileged forum to promote common approaches, strengthen capacities, and advance comprehensive migration policies with a human rights perspective. CAM plays a

fundamental role as a coordinating body with existing regional migration governance mechanisms, facilitating coherence between agendas and avoiding duplicated efforts. In line with the mandates entrusted to this Commission, the purpose of the present session is to create a space for dialogue among the existing regional cooperation mechanisms on migration and international protection, promoting synergies between national and regional initiatives. This session seeks to analyze strategies to strengthen coordination among these intergovernmental mechanisms, aiming to foster actions from the OAS that enhance subregional processes in this area. The proposed methodology includes three rounds of questions for the panelists, during which, within a 5-minute timeframe, they can respond to the following questions:

1. What is the main objective or mandate of the regional process or mechanism you represent, and what areas and topics have been prioritized?

2. How does the regional process or mechanism you represent coordinate actions with other actors, such as civil society, academia, and the private sector?

3. What opportunities exist to improve coordination among different regional forums, to avoid duplication and enhance synergies?

4. From your perspective, what are the main challenges in achieving greater complementarity among the various existing migration governance mechanisms in the region?

5. How do you think CAM can contribute to supporting these actions?