This page contains general information about the SACM but it is not its official website. For official information about the SACM please visit its official website at https://csmigraciones.org.
Type: Regional consultative process on migration (region covered: South America)
Formal association with regional or multi-stakeholder organization: None
Established: 2000
Objectives
The South American Conference on Migration (SACM) or Lima Process aims to provide a platform for consultations for South American countries in the primary areas of development; diasporas; rights of migrants; integration; information exchange; migration statistics; climate change; counter-trafficking and counter-smuggling.
Its current priorities are:
- Ensuring respect for the human rights of migrants regardless of their status;
- Promotion of discourse on migration in relation to development;
- Strengthening of dialogue and political coordination among States;
- Highlighting the significance of migrants' contributions to the welfare and cultural enrichment of societies in countries of origin; and
- Promoting the participation of representatives from civil society.
Current Thematic Focus
- Migration and development
- Diasporas
- Migrant rights
- Migrant integration
- Migration data and statistics
- Combatting human trafficking
- Counter migrant smuggling
Working Networks
- Working Network on Border Management
- Working Network on Migrant Children and Adolescents
- Working Network on Gender and Migration
- Working Network on Trafficking in Persons and Migrant Smuggling
- Working Network on Migration, Environment, Disasters and Climate Change
- Working Network on Social and Labor Integration: Work and Education
Chairing country
- The chairmanship (called Presidency pro-tempore) is term-based and rotates among the member States of the SACM. The following countries have recently chaired the SACM: Colombia (2023-2024); Peru (2022-2023), Chile (2021-2022), Argentina (2020-2021), Peru (2019-2020), Bolivia (2018-2019), Uruguay (2017-2018), Paraguay, Chile, Peru.
Secretariat
- Technical Secretariat (IOM provides technical cooperation and administrative support)
- Members
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Member States (12 States)
- Argentina
- Bolivia
- Brazil
- Chile
- Colombia
- Ecuador
- Guyana
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Suriname
- Uruguay
- Venezuela
- Observers
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Observer States (1 State)
- Mexico
Observer Organizations (16 organizations)
- Ibero-American General Secretariat (SEGIB)
- Andean Community of Nations (CAN)
- Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR)
- International Labor Organization (ILO)
- International Organization for Migration (IOM)
- United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
- Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (CEPAL)
- Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean - Latin American and Caribbean Demographic Center (CEPAL - CELADE)
- United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner (OHCHR)
- United Nations High Commissioner Organization for Refugees (UNHCR)
- United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)
- MERCOSUR Social Institute (ISM)
- MERCOSUR Institute of Public Policies and Human Rights (IPPDH)
- International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
- Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF)
- Latin American and Caribbean Economic System (SELA)
Observer ISCMs (1 ISCM)
Representatives of groups affiliated with the Catholic Church and groups defending human rights may also be invited on an ad hoc basis.
- Selected Meetings
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The list of meetings is not comprehensive.
- November 7, 2024, Bogota, Colombia, 18th Intersessional Meeting
- November 6, 2024, Bogota, Colombia, 22nd South American Conference on Migration
- October 10-11, 2024, Bogota, Colombia, 5th (V) Plenary Meeting between the RCM and the SACM
- October 9, 2024, Bogota, Colombia, SACM High-Level Dialogue
- September 17-18, 2024, Bogota, Colombia, Training on the “Migrants in Countries in Crisis Situations” (MICIC) Initiative for Consular Staff in South America
- June 28, 2024, Virtual, Introduction to the Migrants Initiative in Countries in Crisis (MICIC) and Consular Contingency Plans
- June 6-7, 2024, Bogota, Colombia, Training of Trainers on Data Management
- May 20, 2024, Asuncion, Paraguay, MERCOSUR Specialized Migration Forum (FEM) and the SACM Joint Seminar “Towards Free Mobility in South America: Steps for the Implementation of the South American Human Development Plan for Migration 2024-2034”
- February 7-8, 2024, Bogota, Colombia, The First SACM Expanded Troika Meeting
- December 6, 2023, Lima, Perú, XVII Intersessional Meeting – Transfer of Pro Tempore Presidency to the Republic of Colombia
- December 5-6, 2023, Lima, Perú, XXI SACM Plenary Meeting
- November 20, 2023, Virtual event, Regional Vision Meeting – PSDHM Update
- October 31, 2023, Virtual event, V Focal Points Meeting
- October 4, 2023, Hybrid, IV Extended Troika Meeting
- September 14-15, 2023, Lima, Perú, XXI SACM Plenary Meeting
- August 23-24, 2023, Ciudad de Panamá, IV Plenary Meeting RCM-SACM
- May 17, 2023, Lima, Perú, I Meeting between RCM-SACM Troikas
- May 16, 2023, Lima, Perú, II SACM Troika Meeting
- April 11, 2023, Virtual Event, I SACM Troika Meeting
- March 9, 2023, Virtual Event, I Meeting between RCM-SACM Chairs and Secretaries
- November 14, 2022, Lima, Peru, The XVI Intersessional Meeting
- October 12-14, 2022, Santiago de Chile, The 20th SACM Conference "Migration, Integration, and Cooperation: Towards a Regional Migration Agenda"
- March 23, 2022, Santiago de Chile and Virtual Event, The 2nd Preparatory Meeting preparing for the 20th (XX) SACM Conference
- September 9-10, 2021, Virtual Event, Bi-regional Plenary Meeting between RCM and SACM
- March 25, 2021, Virtual Event, Preparatory Meeting for the Bi-regional RCM-SACM Meeting
- September 17, 2020, Virtual Event, XIV Intersessional meeting
- November 22-23, 2018, Sucre, Cochabamba, Bolivia, XVIII South American Conference on Migration “South American Citizenship: a new culture of free human mobility towards Universal Citizenship”
- October 4-5, 2018, Montevideo, Uruguay, XIII Intersessional meeting
- May 9, 2018, Montevideo, Uruguay, I Plenary Meeting of the RCM and the SACM
- 14-16 November 2017, Montevideo, Uruguay, XVII SACM meeting
- 27-28 September 2017, Lima, Peru, XII Intersessional meeting
- 3-4 November 2016, Asunción, Paraguay, XVI SACM meeting
- 23-24 August 2016, Montevideo, Uruguay, XI Intersessional meeting
- 8–10 September 2015, Santiago, Chile, XV SACM meeting
- 4-5 August 2015, Asunción, Paraguay, X Intersessional meeting
- 16-17 October 2014, Lima, Peru, XIV SACM
- 19-20 August 2014, Brasilia, Brazil, IX Intersessional meeting
- 3-5 December 2013, Cartagena, Colombia, XIII SACM meeting
- 27-28 August 2013, Buenos Aires, Argentina, VIII Intersessional Meeting
- Selected Documents
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- Lima Declaration on the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration 2017 ( EN )
- Declaración de Buenos Aires 2013 ( ES )
- Declaration of Migration Principles and Overall guidelines 2011 ( EN | ES | PT )
- South American Human Development Plan for Migration, context and perspectives (PSDHM; Cochabamba, 2010) ( ES )
- SACM Organization and Operation Regulations, 2016 ( ES )
- For additional SACM and SACM-related documents (in English, Spanish and Portuguese), please visit the SACM Document Library.
- Contact Information
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Website
- Related Links