The formulation of effective public policies requires a thorough understanding of the social phenomena they are intended to address. In the field of human mobility, migration data is a key tool for designing government responses that respect human rights and are tailored to the specific contexts of migration flows. The collection, analysis and dissemination of reliable information is, therefore, an essential prerequisite for achieving evidence-based migration governance.
To that end, the Latin American and Caribbean Economic System (SELA), in partnership with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), has been developing an ongoing programme of technical training for officials from Member States. The first edition of this online training course took place in 2023, and the second edition was held in 2024, focusing on strengthening data literacy, telling migration stories based on evidence, and working with indicators relating to governance and data protection. Subsequently, the third edition, held in November 2025, incorporated recent trends in migration, data sharing between governments, strategic foresight and the implementation of the Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) in Latin America and the Caribbean. Overall, this cycle has contributed to the strengthening of regional capacities in the strategic management and use of data for decision-making on migration policies.
This fourth edition includes an additional component arising from the regional context, focusing on information management in emergency situations and temporary accommodation, an area in which the availability of timely and disaggregated data directly determines the quality of the institutional response.
In order to make effective progress in formulating public policies on migration that have a positive impact on the living conditions of migrants, the availability of up-to-date and reliable data is essential. Migration data is vital for tackling its structural causes, including poverty, violence, environmental degradation and disasters, as well as for designing appropriate responses during transit, return or local integration.
Robust information systems enable States to improve safety along migration routes, ensure protection mechanisms are in place, and collaborate with other institutions in addressing and managing migration from a human rights perspective. Misinformation, anti-migrant rhetoric and the politicisation of the issue pose additional risks that can be mitigated through a data-driven communication strategy, given that the spread of misinformation has shifted the dominant discourse away from a balanced and rigorous account of human mobility, despite the fact that most migration is regular, safe and orderly and is concentrated in specific regions (IOM, 2024).
In addition, there is a dimension that has become increasingly urgent in recent times. Sudden-onset disasters cause large-scale internal displacement within a very short timeframe; in such a scenario, the ability to identify reception sites, assess the affected population and monitor the changing nature of their needs determines the effectiveness of the entire institutional response. IOM co-chairs the Global Thematic Group on Camp Coordination and Management, with a specific mandate to lead the response to disaster-induced displacement, and has developed practical tools in this area, including the Minimum Standards for Camp Management and site management tools designed to ensure that every person in need has equal access to information, services and assistance (IOM, n.d.).
In the field of data management, the site assessment component of the Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) is a key tool for collecting, processing and disseminating systematic information on the changing needs of displaced populations, both in host locations and along mobility routes. In emergency contexts, this capability is particularly important, as it enables the institutional response to be guided by timely, comparable and geographically disaggregated evidence (IOM, 2018).
This technical relevance is particularly well illustrated by its application during seismic emergencies in the region. Following the April 2016 earthquake in Ecuador, the Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) was implemented to monitor the displacement of the affected population and assess the temporary accommodation sites set up in the provinces of Manabí and Esmeraldas. The information produced through this exercise helped support technical assistance provided to official shelters, strengthen the capacities of twenty-four officials linked to the national temporary accommodation system, and advance the development of a national operational guide on the subject. Thus, the experience demonstrates that the information generated during an emergency not only helps improve the immediate response but can also lead to sustainable institutional capacities.
Within this framework, the 4th edition combines the continuation of regional lines of work with a component dedicated to data management in emergency contexts and temporary accommodation, so that the capacities developed address both the structural agenda of migration governance and the operational requirements of the moment. Furthermore, this activity will help strengthen the document summarising the initiatives implemented by SELA Member States to optimise public migration policies.
This event aims to:
Date: 28 and 29 October 2026
Target audience: 46 officials from migration and human mobility institutions in the 23 SELA Member States
Format: virtual via Zoom, with synchronous interactive streaming through institutional platforms
Languages: Spanish and English with simultaneous interpretation
Permanent Secretariat of SELA:
Gustavo Herrera, Social Development Coordinator
Telephone: (58-212)-955-7111 / 955-7136
Email: gherrera@sela.org
Luis Emilio Martínez Mago, Social Development Analyst
Telephone: (58-212)-955-7111 / 955-7117
Email: lmartinezm@sela.org
Information