Within the framework of the Work Programme for 2022-2026 (D4-24) of the Latin American and Caribbean Economic System (SELA), as part of its commitment to promote a comprehensive and multidimensional vision of human mobility, SELA is planning to hold a Discussion panel on the progress and challenges identified in the Second Review of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration. This new activity, included in the Social Development area of the organisation, is conceived as a strategic space for reflection and multilateral dialogue, aimed at strengthening regional integration and cooperation in the area of migration.

The discussion panel will complement the Regional Forum on best practices on migration and consular cooperation in Latin America and the Caribbean, held on 2 and 3 April 2025 in Bogotá, Colombia. Its purpose is to analyse, from a technical, inclusive and evidence-based perspective, the main advances, challenges and opportunities identified in the Second Regional Review of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GFMD).[1]

In line with the guiding principles of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, oriented towards the whole-of-government approach[2] and the whole-of-society approach,[3] this initiative promotes the cooperation of civil society organisations, recognising their fundamental role in the formulation, implementation and monitoring of public migration policies based on inherent human rights and guarantees. Likewise, the use of the consular cooperation assessment tool will be promoted, as well as the presentation of an analytical document that includes recommendations, best practices and successful cases collected at regional, subregional and inter-regional levels.

[1] The Second Regional Review of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM) was held from 18 to 20 March 2025 under the auspices of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) and the United Nations Migration Network.

[2] The whole-of-government approach promotes coordination among all levels and sectors of government for coherent migration governance (United Nations, 2018)

[3] The whole-of-society approach encourages the active participation of all sectors of society, including non-state actors, in the formulation and implementation of migration policies (United Nations, 2018).

            The Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM),[1] adopted in December 2018 in Marrakech under the auspices of the United Nations, is the first intergovernmental agreement to comprehensively address all dimensions of international migration. Based on a multilateral and sectoral international cooperation approach, the GCM sets out 23 objectives aimed at improving migration governance, protecting the human rights of migrants and fostering their contribution to sustainable development in countries of origin, transit and destination.

In the same vein, in compliance with the mandate set out in paragraph 50 of resolution A/RES/73/195, follow-up mechanisms were established, including the holding of regional reviews at a four-year interval in order to assess progress in the implementation of the Global Compact.[2]

From this mandate, the International Migration Review Forum (IMRF) was created, the first edition of which took place in 2022 and is held every four years with the aim of conducting a systematic and comprehensive review of progress in the implementation of the compact at the local, national, regional and global levels. The IMRF is considered an essential mechanism for assessing progress in the implementation of the GCM, in accordance with the commitments made by the Member States. It has established itself as a key platform to monitor progress, identify best practices, persistent challenges and priority areas for action, thereby strengthening accountability and international cooperation.

This forum resulted in a document called Progress Declaration of the International Migration Review Forum, adopted by the UN General Assembly at its seventy-sixth session (A/RES/76/266), which contains the following key conclusions: (i) Reaffirmation of commitment to the principles and objectives of the Global Compact; (ii) Recognition of progress in areas such as data collection, bilateral cooperation and protection of rights; (iii) Call for accelerated implementation of the Global Compact, especially in contexts of crisis and forced displacement, and emphasis on inclusion of all actors through the whole-of-government approach and the whole-of-society approach; (iv) Promotion of regular and safe channels as alternatives to irregular migration[3].

In a context where human mobility in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) has reached unprecedented levels, with more than 48 million people from the region residing outside their countries in 2024 coupled with a 40% growth in the migrant population between 2020 and 2025 driven by factors such as economic crises, violence, climate change and the search for better job opportunities (IOM, 2024),[4] the International Organization for Migration (IOM), in its capacity as coordinator of the United Nations Migration Network, has reiterated the need to strengthen international and regional cooperation to respond to emerging challenges. IOM’s work has been instrumental in the coordination of the Global Compact for Migration (GCM) review processes, including technical and methodological coordination. In the same vein, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) promotes an articulated, participatory and people-centred vision of migration governance.

In this context, the Second Regional Review of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration for Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) brought together an audience of Member States, intergovernmental organisations, programmes, funds, UN agencies, local communities, civil society and the private sector in an intergovernmental conference. This process allowed Member States and stakeholders to assess progress, challenges and opportunities in the implementation of the Global Compact, as well as to formulate key recommendations for the 2026 International Migration Review Forum (IMRF).

During this process, the Latin American and Caribbean Economic System (SELA) participated as a regional observer organisation,[5] providing a technical and integrated vision on the main challenges faced by Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) in the implementation of the Global Compact on Migration. Its contributions highlighted the limited inter-institutional coordination, budgetary and technical restrictions, the low interoperability of migration data systems and the urgent need to strengthen consular cooperation, which hinder the implementation of migration integration policies. Along the same lines, SELA underscored the importance of promoting mechanisms for the recognition of labour skills, particularly in the emerging context of the silver economy for their proper inclusion in social security.

At the same time, the Regional Network of Civil Society Organisations for Migration (RNCOM), as well as dozens of other regional networks, participated in the elaboration of the stakeholders’ report on the second review of the Global Compact for Migration for the Latin American and Caribbean region. It considered national and regional reports, specific surveys on the objectives of the Global Compact, as well as virtual and face-to-face meetings with more than 100 organisations from the continent, actively participating at different times. This is a comprehensive report that identifies persistent structural obstacles such as the criminalisation of human mobility, xenophobic discourses, the absence of accessible channels for migration regularisation, and the need to adopt a human rights-based approach, with special attention to vulnerable groups such as women, children and LGBTIQ+ people.

Overall, the inputs gathered during the Second Regional Review demonstrate the urgency of moving towards inclusive migration governance, focused on the protection of rights, human security and shared development. This objective requires the adoption of sustainable public policies, effective regional cooperation and the articulated participation of all actors involved.

In this context, the 2026 International Migration Review Forum (IMRF) represents a new opportunity for the international community, in compliance with the GCM’s mandate, to assess progress and challenges in the implementation of the Global Compact at the global level. As a key platform, the 2026 IMRF will identify the best practices, lessons learned and areas requiring further attention to achieve safe, orderly and regular migration. It will also foster dialogue and cooperation among Member States, civil society, international organisations and other relevant actors to accelerate the implementation of the GCM and achieve its objectives. This forum will be crucial to strengthen migration governance at the global and regional levels, and to ensure the protection of the rights of all migrants.

This effort is part of SELA’s Programme III, aimed at promoting effective and sustainable migration governance that recognizes human mobility as an essential factor for socio-economic development and social cohesion in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). In addition to the foregoing, the seminar constitutes a significant contribution to the regional preparation for the 2026 International Migration Review Forum (IMRF), promoting coordination among governmental actors, multilateral organisations, civil society and academia, in a space for dialogue based on migration data and strengthened technical cooperation.

In this regard, SELA reaffirms its role as a mechanism for regional integration and coordination, facilitator of technical dialogue and promoter of public policies that respond to the contemporary challenges of international migration in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC).

[1] The Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (2018) is the first United Nations agreement negotiated at the intergovernmental level on a common approach to managing international migration.

[2] Paragraph 50 of UN General Assembly resolution A/RES/73/195 (2018) establishes the follow-up and review mechanism of the Global Compact for Migration, including the holding of quadrennial regional reviews to assess its implementation.

[3] International Organization for Migration (IOM) (2022, 16 December). Después de 4 años: ¿Cuánto se ha avanzado en la implementación del Pacto Mundial para la Migración? OIM. https://lac.iom.int/es/blogs/despues-de-4-anos-cuanto-se-ha-avanzado-en-la-implementacion-del-pacto-mundial-para-la-migracion

[4] The World Migration Report (2024) is a publication of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) that provides up-to-date data and analysis on global and regional migration trends.

[5] Latin American and Caribbean Economic System (SELA) (2024). Mensajes clave – Segunda Revisión Regional del Pacto Mundial para la Migración Segura, Ordenada y Regular. https://migrationnetwork.un.org/system/files/docs/SELA-%20Mensajes%20Clave%202da%20Revisi%C3%B3n%20Regional%20del%20PMM.pdf

This event aims to:

• Contribute to the strengthening of spaces for regional dialogue on international migration, through the analysis of progress and challenges in the implementation of the GCM in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC).
• Foster the exchange of visions, experiences and priorities among governmental actors, civil society and international organisations regarding regional migration governance and the implementation of the GCM commitments.
• Promote the role of regional, subregional and inter-regional organisations and civil society as platforms for regional coordination and cooperation in the monitoring and evaluation of migration policies with a rights-based approach.
• Highlight the contributions of organised civil society, networks and regional platforms in the processes of revising the GCM and in the promotion of inclusive, participatory and sustainable practices in the field of human mobility.
• Contribute to the identification of common elements for a regional roadmap towards the 2026 IMRF, strengthening the region’s joint advocacy in global mechanisms for dialogue on migration.

• Analysis of the main findings of the Second Regional Review of the GCM, including structural challenges, opportunities for inter-institutional coordination and proposals for rights-based migration governance, evidence and sustainable development.
• Spaces and tools for inter-governmental coordination, consular cooperation and complementarity among regional platforms with an emphasis on best practices and institutional synergies.
• Role of regional networks, migrant communities, grassroots organisations and academia in the construction of diagnoses, agendas and proposals for safe, orderly and regular migration, with a focus on human rights.
• Analysis of institutional responses to discrimination, gender-based violence, human trafficking, arbitrary detention, unaccompanied migrant children with a cross-cutting approach.
• Regional priorities, opportunities and challenges with a view to the 2026 International Migration Review Forum (IMRF), contributions from Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC).

• What lessons emerge from this second review of the Global Compact in terms of national and regional implementation of its commitments?
• How can regional fora, such as the RCM, the SACM, the MIRPS or SELA, contribute to the transformation of the Global Compact into effective and coordinated public policies?
• How can mechanisms for coordination among states, international organisations and civil society be strengthened for a more effective implementation of the GCM in the region?
• What regional experiences can be highlighted as best practices in the protection of vulnerable migrants, and how can they be replicated or strengthened?
• What are the main challenges and opportunities for institutionalising consular cooperation mechanisms and regional migration governance, from a human rights perspective?
• What elements should be prioritised within the framework of the 2026 IMRF in order to strengthen the impact of the Global Compact in Latin America and the Caribbean?

Discussion panel organised by the Latin American and Caribbean Economic System (SELA) in collaboration with the Regional Network of Civil Organisations for Migration (RNCOM)
Modality: Virtual.
Participants: SELA; RNCOM; IOM; SACM Y RCM
Languages: Spanish and English.
Date: 3 July 2025.
Registration link:

Time: 11:00 am – 14:15 local time Venezuela.

For additional information, please contact the Latin American and Caribbean Economic System (SELA):

• Gustavo Herrera Caballero, Coordinator of the Social Development Area.

E-mail: gherrera@sela.org

• Luis Emilio Martínez, Analyst of the Social Development Area.

E-mail: lmartinezm@sela.org