Type: Regional consultative process on migration (Region: Americas)

Formal association with regional or multi-stakeholder organization: None

Established: 2018

Objectives

The Quito Process was initiated in 2018 to promote communication and coordination between countries receiving Venezuelan refugees and migrants in Latin America and the Caribbean. 

One of the main objectives is the exchange of information and good practices and to articulate a regional coordination to respond to the crisis of Venezuelan refugees and migrants in the region. 

This multilateral initiative of several Latin-American countries aims to specifically address this humanitarian situation separate and apart from political questions about Venezuela's future, and harmonize domestic policies in receiving countries.  

The Declaration of Quito on Human Mobility of Venezuelan Citizens in the Region (“Quito I”) laid the foundations for a more coordinated response.Following Quito II, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay adopted a regional Plan of Action. Among other things, signatories to the plan committed to facilitate the social and economic integration of Venezuelans into host States. Importantly, this included meaningful improvements in the process of granting legal status to Venezuelans in their respective countries.

Current Thematic Focus

Specific areas of discussion include: 

  • International cooperation on migration
  • Refugees, asylum, preventing statelessness
  • Migrants' rights
  • Integration
  • Migrant children
  • Education
  • Health
  • Plow migration
  • Combating human trafficking and migrant smuggling 
  • Combating sexual and gender violence
  • Countering discrimination and xenophobia

Chairing Country 

  • Current Chair: Brazil 
  • Past Chairs: Peru, Colombia, Argentina, Ecuador, Chile

Secretariat

At the request of the member countries, IOM and UNHCR have established the Technical Secretariat with the aim of supporting the work of the Pro Tempore Presidency. The Technical Secretariat is made up of a Joint Coordinator and a Technical Advisor in continuous contact with the national missions of both agencies and the regional offices for the Response to the Situation of Venezuela in Panama.

Website:

Members

Member States (13 Member States)

  • Argentina
  • Brazil
  • Chile
  • Colombia
  • Costa Rica
  • Dominican Republic
  • Ecuador
  • Guyana
  • Mexico
  • Panama
  • Paraguay
  • Peru 
  • Uruguay

Note: The 11 founding member States are Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay

Member Organizations

Observers

Observer States

  • Canada
  • Netherlands, The
  • Sweden
  • United States of America

Observer Organizations  [Referred to by the Quito Process as “Organizations participating in the different meetings”]

Working Groups

  • Working Group on Registration and documentation of Migrants
  • Working Group on Migrant Protection
  • Working Group on Migrant Integration
  • Working Group on Cooperation
  • Working group on Education
  • Working group on Orientation and Reception Center for Migrants and Refugees
Meetings
  • October 29, Virtual event, Second Meeting of the Group of Friends of the Quito Process
  • October 19, 2020, Virtual event, Ministerial and High-level Representative Meeting of the Quito Process
  • October 15, 2020, Virtual event, Meeting of the group of Friends of the Quito Process
  • September 23-24, 2020, Virtual event, Sixth International Technical Meeting on Human Mobility of Venezuelan Citizens in the Region
  • August 6, 2020, Virtual event, First Meeting of the Group of Friends of the Quito Process
  • November 14-15, 2019, Bogota, Colombia, Fifth International Technical Meeting on Human Mobility of Venezuelan Citizens in the Region
  • October 2 -3, 2019, Buenos Aires, Argentina, Regional Technical Meeting of National Committees against Human Trafficking, Human Mobility Approach
  • July 5-6, 2019, Buenos Aires, Argentina, Fourth Technical Meeting on Human Mobility of Venezuelan Citizens in the Region
  • April 8- 9, 2019, Quito, Ecuador, Third Technical Meeting on Human Mobility of Venezuelan Citizens in the Region
  • November 22- 23, 2018, Quito, Ecuador, Second Regional Meeting on Human Mobility of Venezuelan Citizens in the Region
Documents