REGIONAL CONFERENCE ON MIGRATION (RCM)

Honduras is acting as Presidency Pro-Tempore, on an annually rotating basis among and by consensus of member countries.

The following criteria were approved during the Fourth Regional Conference on Migration, held in San Salvador, El Salvador, January 28-29, 1999, according to item number 5 of the Joint Communiqué.

Criteria for Members and Observers

"Member States recognize that the origins, expression and effects of migration, including refugees, are important issues on the international community agenda. By and large, migration is a beneficial phenomenon with potential advantage for both countries of origin and countries of destination; however, in order for these benefits to be realized, it is essential that migration be orderly. Migration is a complex historical phenomenon. Large migratory flows have grown in recent years and result in part from asymmetries among economies and labor markets, political and social factors, natural disasters, environmental degradation, rapid population growth, barriers to trade and investment, and civil conflicts. In that respect, the governments emphasize the need for reciprocal cooperation to promote economic growth and employment in order to reduce poverty.

The governments recognized national differences with respect to perceptions of the causes, dimensions and consequences of migration. They agreed that a comprehensive, objective and long-term approach to the origins, manifestations and effects of regional migration should contribute to a better understanding of the phenomenon, counteract anti-immigrant attitudes and enhance relations among participating States."

Joint Communiqué, Puebla, March 1996 .

Membership

Member States of the RCM are: Belize, Canada, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama and the United States.

The member states of the RCM:

Are committed to the principles of the Puebla Joint Communiqué and the Fifth Vice-Ministerial Declaration of Principles

Are committed to the orderly movement of persons and to the respect of human rights of migrants;

Address intenational migration issues in a multilateral context within the RCM;

Are committed to the exchange of information on policies and practices related to intenational migration.

Observers

The following are observer states of the RCM: Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador, Jamaica, and Peru.

Criteria for Observers

To be considered by Vice Ministers as a new observer of the RCM, a country must:

Be geographically part of the Westem Hemisphere;
Make a written declaration of its commitment to the principles of the Puebla Joint Communiqué;
Have a significant migration flow with at least one of the member states;
Be willing to deal with the migration phenomenon in a multilateral context within the RCM;
Be committed to the orderly movement of people and to the respect of the human rights of migrants;
Have policies, laws and practices regarding international migration;
Be committed to being represented at the RCM and at the Regional Consultation Group on Migration (RCGM) by officials of institutions responsible for migration;
Present to Vice Ministers a written statement of interest and of commitment to the above principles.

A decision to accept or reject an application to be a new observer will be made by Vice Ministers in a private meeting.

Observer International Organizations

The following internacional organizations are observers of the RCM: International Organization for Migration (IOM), United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), the InterAmerican Commission for Human Rights (ICHR), the System of Central American Integration (SICA), the Special Rapporteur of the United Nations on the Human Rights of Migrants and the Secretaría General Iberoamericana (SEGIB).

To be considered by ViceMinisters as a new candidate for observer status in the RCM, an international organization must:

Be committed to furthering the principles contained in the Puebla Joint Communique.
Have a mandate dealing with at least one of the main subject matters considered in the Plan of Action.
Submit a written application to Vice Ministers making its case for membership.

Observer will:

Be invited to make statements but will not take part in the debate nor in the drafting of documents related to the recommendations and decisions emanating from the meetings of the RCM.

Member countries reserve the right to hold closed meetings at any time.
Member countries reserve the right to invite special participants, including NGOs, to any of their meetings.