THE JOINT PROGRAMME ON VULNERABLE MIGRANTS IN

THE JOINT PROGRAMME ON VULNERABLE MIGRANTS IN TRANSIT
IOM-SA-12-092
Annual Report 2013
MEXICO
February 2014
Table of Contents
Introductory Note. ………………………………………………
3
I. General Information…………………………………….……..
4
II. Goal and Objectives.………………………………….………
7
III. Results……………………………………………………….
7
III. 1 Objective 1…...…………………………………….
21
III. 2 Objective 2……...…………………………………
31
III. 3 Objective 3…………………………………….......
38
III. 4 Challenges and Opportunities……………………..
45
III. 5 Lessons Learned ………………………..…………
47
III. 6 Best Practices …………………………………......
48
III. 7 Working with Strategic Partners…………………..
49
III. 8 Interagency Cooperation……………………..........
51
III. 9 Human Security Trust Fund Visits Mexico………..
55
IV. Work Plan 2014……………………………………………..
58
V. Resources and Application of Budget……………………….
60
V.1. Other Contributions..……………………………….
60
Annex 1. Strategic Framework for Joint Programme…………...
61
Annex 2. Geographic Location of Shelters………………………
62
Annex 3. Action Framework for Communications Strategy….…
63
2
Introductory Note
The legal document that gave rise to the Joint Programme on Migrants in Transit was
signed in November 2012, toward the end of President Felipe Calderon’s administration.
Activities related to the call for and selection of personnel, adaptation of office space and
other matters of logistics began in January 2013, within the framework of the new
administration under Mr. Enrique Peña Nieto. Though the original plan called for the Joint
Programme for Migrants in Transit to begin activities in January of 2013, imminent
political changes and the management of internal administrative processes within each
agency associated to the Programme led field activities to begin in April. Consequently,
this report comprises actions undertaken from April through December 2013.
There are eight United Nations System in Mexico agencies working with the Joint
Programme: five of these receive funds to carry out activities (IOM, UNHCR, UNDP,
UNFPA and UNODC); three others proffer technical advice (UNICEF, UN Women and
WTO). The International Organization on Migration (IOM) is the lead agency for the
initiative.
Programme activities are carried out in three states of Mexico: Chiapas, Oaxaca and
Tabasco. However, the headquarters for the initiative is located in the city of Tuxtla
Gutiérrez (in the state of Chiapas). Close by are the local headquarters for the IOM and
UNHCR, located in the border municipality of Tapachula (in the same state of Chiapas).
Worth noting are the administrative procedures and political lobbying in the country’s
capital, Mexico City, where national United Nations offices are located.
The work team in the field, operating in and from Tuxtla Gutiérrez, travels to perform
follow-up missions in the main localities of the three states where the Joint Programme is in
operation. This team works very closely with IOP and UNHRC personnel in the city of
Tapachula.
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I. General Information
Date of proposal
submission to the Fund
Reference Number
Country and places
benefitted
Program title
Duration of
programme
United Nations
Organization
responsible for project
management
Participating agencies
of the United Nations
System
08/04/2012
IOM-SA-12-092
-Mexico
-States of Chiapas, Oaxaca and Tabasco
Support Strengthening of Government Institutions and Civil Society’s
Capacity to Improve the Protection of Vulnerable Migrants in Transit
From 01/01/2012 through 12/31/2014 (24 months)
International Organization for Migration (IOM)
Dr. Thomas Lothar Weiss - Director / Head of Mission
Francisco Sosa 267
Barrio de Santa Catarina, Coyoacán
C.P. 04010, Ciudad de México, D.F.
Tel: +52 55 55363922
e-mail: tweiss@iom.int
United Nations coordinating agencies:
1. International Organization for Migration (IOM)
Francisco Sosa 267, Barrio de Santa Catarina, Coyoacán, C.P.
04010, Ciudad de México, D.F.
2. United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
Montes Urales 440, Lomas de Chapultepec, Miguel Hidalgo,
C.P. 11000, Ciudad de México, D.F.
3. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra 193, piso 14, oficina 1402,
Granada, Miguel Hidalgo, C.P. 11520, Ciudad de México,
D.F.
United Nations executing agencies:
4. United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
Homero 806, Polanco, Miguel Hidalgo, C.P. 11560, Ciudad
de México, D.F.
5. United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)
Obrero Mundial 358, piso 2, Viaducto Piedad Narvarte,
Benito Juárez, C.P. 03000, Ciudad de México D.F.
United Nations advisory agencies:
6. International Labor Organization (ILO)
Darwin 31, Anzures, Miguel Hidalgo,
C.P. 11590, Ciudad de México, D.F.
7. United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)
Paseo de la Reforma 645, Lomas de Chapultepec, Miguel
4
Non-executing United
Nations partners
Hidalgo, C.P. 11000, Ciudad de México, D.F.
8. United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the
Empowerment of Women (UN Women)
Montes Urales 440, Lomas de Chapultepec, Miguel Hidalgo,
C.P. 11000, Ciudad de México, D.F.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mexico (SRE), Ministry of the Interior
(SEGOB), National Immigration Institute (INM), Mexican
Commission for Refugee Aid (COMAR), State Governments of
Chiapas, Oaxaca and Tabasco, State Ministries of Health, Secretariat
for the Development of the Southern Border and International Liaison
for the State of Chiapas (SDFSyECI), local municipalities, shelters
and homes for migrants, and other civil society organizations.
Total project cost
Executive summary
3,121,707.88 USD
Mexico is a country with a unique history of dynamic migration,
thanks to its proximity to the United States of America (USA) and,
also, as a natural route between Central America and the USA. The
main reasons for the migration that takes place in Mexican territory is
linked to the prevailing conditions of poverty in Central America:
lack of jobs, the promise of financial betterment abroad, and, to a
lesser degree, natural disasters that undermine the economy and
social stability where they occur.
For the last 15 years, the Mexican states on the southern border of the
country have become transit and crossing areas for thousands of
irregular migrants coming from Central America, and in particular
from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. Migration trends and the
routes that migrants use have changed over time, either because of
natural disasters (such as hurricanes Mitch, in 1998, or Stan, in 2005)
or by virtue of lack of security and rampant violence resulting from
organized crime.
The National Immigration Institute (INM) estimates that in 2010
alone some 140,000 Central American migrants traveled through
Mexico in irregular status. Nonetheless, civil society estimates place
the statistics much higher. This situation has become increasingly
complex; vulnerable demographic groups are involved, such as
women and unaccompanied children and adolescents. These face
even greater risks during their transit through Mexico. The increasing
presence of organized criminal groups and the lack of presence of
public security authorities along migrant transit paths have had grave
repercussions regarding the levels of vulnerability associated with
these groups of migrants, to mention just one aspect. Kidnappings
and trafficking in persons, physical violence through robbery, sexual
attacks, and even murder, as well as lack of health services, food,
places to rest, and much more, are all examples of the main risks that
5
migrants face. Irregular transit of migrants through Mexico is
becoming an increasingly complicated, costly and risky undertaking
owing, as well, to the increase in migration checkpoints and controls;
then, upon arriving at the final destination, there are multiple
expenses associated to contraband and the presence of organized
criminal groups. These factors lead to a progressive increase in
threats to the human security of vulnerable migrants in transit through
the country.
The government of Mexico, civil society organizations and various
UN agencies are implementing projects and programs to assist these
vulnerable communities; nonetheless, the magnitude of the problem
demands a broad-spectrum response that will specifically address this
population and allow for the coordination of solutions and
strengthening of the capacities of participating institutions, bearing in
mind the needs of recipients. In this regard, the Joint Programme is
working to improve human security for all vulnerable migrants in
transit, especially in the states of the south of Mexico, through
support to strengthen state and federal governments and institutions,
to improve the capacity of civil society organizations to respond to
needs and to promote active local participation for the benefit of
irregular migrants.
As concerns the first year of Programme implementation, we
underscore the following achievements: a) sensitizing institutional
and social counterparts regarding the application of the human
security approach to the migratory phenomenon in Mexico; b)
significant progress in the construction of a mechanism for State,
Civil Society Organizations (CSO) and UN through consulting for the
design of a new Special Plan for Migration, led by the Federal
Government; c) rendering visible the role and importance of the work
of CSOs, especially through shelters and aid for migrants in transit;
and d) involving local governments in the need to create awareness in
their populations on the human rights of migrants.
The total budget of the Programme rises to 3,121,707.88 USD and
must be executed within a period of two years, distributed as follows:
1,559,467.22 USD for the first year and 1,562,240.66 USD for the
second year. Worth noting is that during the first year of operation
(2013) nearly 65% of the budget was utilized.
6
II. Goal and Objectives of the Joint Programme
The Joint Programme for Vulnerable Migrants in Transit established a goal and three main
objectives, namely:
Goal: To improve human security and reduce exposure for vulnerable migrants throughout
their transit in the southeast of Mexico.
Objective 1: Support the strengthening of capacities of federal and state governmental
institutions so they may better aid vulnerable migrants in transit.
Objective 2: To increase the capacity of civil society organizations, especially shelters, to
provide assistance to vulnerable migrants in transit.
Objective 3: To improve peaceful coexistence among receiving communities and migrant
shelters through sensitizing the local population and encouraging their participation in
networks designed to protect vulnerable migrants in transit.
III. Results per objectives
Below is a progress table that depicts the activities carried out between April and December
2013 for each one of the three objectives of the Joint Programme. The table follows the
logical framework of results, drafted for the project document approved by the Human
Security Fund.
7
Table 1. Progress of Results of Joint Programme, pursuant to logical framework
Results
Indicators on
Results
Progress
Goal of the
Programme
To improve human
security for
vulnerable migrants
during their transit
through the
southeast of
Mexico.
OBJECTIVE 1
Support the
strengthening of
federal and state
institutional
capacity to offer
assistance to
vulnerable migrants
in transit.
Result 1
Mechanisms for
coordination and
exchange between
federal and state
authorities, CSOs
and UN agencies
have been either
created or
strengthened.
A Government /
CSO / UN working
group was
established.
Strategy 1
The state governments / CSOs /
UN partnership set up the
Committee for Follow-up and
Monitoring of the Rights of
Migrant Boys, Girls and
Adolescents in the State of
Chiapas.
Strategy 2
The Federal Government / CSOs
/ UN partnership provided
consulting for the Unit on
Migratory Policy of the Ministry
of the Interior throughout the
design of the Special
Programme on Migration.
Observations/
Recommendations
Number of
meetings to
coordinate the
working group.
Five meetings were scheduled to
promote dialogue mechanisms
between the Government and
CSO:
Committee for Follow-up and
Monitoring of the Rights of
Migrant Boys, Girls and
Adolescents in the State of
Chiapas, September 4, Tuxtla
Gutiérrez, Chiapas.
Colloquium on International
Migration, Policy and
Management, November 13,
San Cristóbal de las Casas,
Chiapas.
Week of the Migrant at the
Senate, November 5 - 7, Mexico
City, Federal District, Mexico.
Process for Feedback on the
Diagnosis on Human Rights of
the Government of the State of
Oaxaca, November 25, City of
Oaxaca.
-Consultation Forums to Draw
Up the Special Plan for
Migration, November 21,
Mexico City, Federal District,
and December 2, Tapachula,
Chiapas.
Result 2
An e-learning
platform has been
created, and
materials have been
distributed to
government
authorities in regard
Number of
seminars held for
state authorities.
E-learning platform
-Platform designed for elearning, focusing on matters of
migration and human security.
-Beginning of Diploma Course
on Migration, Health and
Human Rights, included in the
ongoing training platform of the
National Institute for Public
9
to Objective 1,
delivered to nearly
800 federal and
state civil servants.
Health (INSP, in Spanish).
- Conclusion of training
workshops on the protection of
migrant children and
adolescents.
- Interinstitutional guidelines
designed for the integral followup of trafficking of migrant
persons.
Number of
institutions with
access to elearning.
Number of trained
civil servants
Result 3
Existence of an
integral
- Designed, developed, and
documented the information
system for monitoring the sexual
and reproductive health care
needs of the migrant population.
Eight institutions have had
access to the e-learning platform
regarding sexual and
reproductive health:
National Immigration Institute
(INM),
Secretariat for the Development
of the Southern Border
(SDFSyECI), Instituto
Oaxaqueño de Atención al
Migrante (Oaxaca Institute for
the Care of Migrants), State
Council on Human Rights for
the State of Chiapas (CEDHChiapas), Advocacy for the
People of Oaxaca (Defensoría
del Pueblo de Oaxaca) and 3
Sanitation Jurisdictions:
Chiapas, Oaxaca and Tabasco.
A total of 276 civil servants,
representing the National
Immigration Institute (INM) and
the National System for Integral
Family Development (DIF), all
trained. All of these belong to
the states of Chiapas, Oaxaca
and Tabasco.
Conclusion of the design for the Possible partnership with
strategy to draw up the
CONAPRED and the
10
Design of integral
communications
strategy with an eye
to disseminating
essential
information on
vulnerable migrants
in transit, and, once
Programme results
have been
disseminated, the
added value of the
human security
concept and
government
achievements for
the press and the
public at large.
Results
communications
strategy
prevention campaign, geared
toward informing migrants in
transit of basic security issues,
human rights and services
available throughout the
migration route.
Commission on Human
Rights for the Federal
District (CDHDF), for
participation in
prevention campaign.
Experts have provided
consulting for UNICEF
and UNODC.
Number of
communications
materials designed
and distributed.
Number of
migrants receiving
or identifying
messages
Number of
communications
events.
Indicators on
Result
Concluded the design of a set of
teaching materials (printed and
audiovisual), geared toward the
international protection of
migrant boys, girls and
adolescents.
Design of monitoring system to
measure the reception of
messages.
In September, the 1st Forum on
Human Security and Migration
was held, in Tuxtla Gutiérrez,
Chiapas.
Took part in the organization of
a fair on services for migrants
called We are all migrants: my
rights and your rights are one
and the same on December 18,
International Migrants Day.
Progress
Observations/
Recommendations
OBJECTIVE 2
To increase the
capacity of CSOs –
especially shelters−
to
provide
assistance
to
vulnerable migrants
in transit.
11
Result 1
14 CSOs and
shelters for
migrants received
technical assistance
to improve the
services available
for vulnerable
migrants.
Number of
members of
personnel at
shelters receiving
training.
A total of 139 persons received
training, far surpassing the
target of 30.
A total of 23 shelters and
organizations in the states
of Chiapas (11), Oaxaca
(8) and Tabasco (4) have
participated in training
activities.
Twenty-four
organizations have also
joined for training; these
are located in the states
of Baja California,
Chihuahua, Coahuila,
Distrito Federal, Jalisco,
Guanajuato, Michoacán,
Nuevo León, Querétaro,
Quintana Roo, San Luis
Potosí, Sonora, Tlaxcala
and Veracruz have also.
Moreover, there are both
Mexican and Central
American organizations
that have joined the
Collective for the
National Plan for
Development –
Migration (PNDMigración) and the Mesa
Transfronteriza.
Number of
additional services
offered by the
shelters.
Seven shelters now have the
necessary communications
infrastructure to contact the
communities of migrant origin
and destination.
The shelter in Ixtepec, Oaxaca,
has a new water supply system.
Shelter “La 72”, in Tenosique,
Tabasco, has a new secured
space for families, victims of
trafficking and asylum seekers.
Infrastructure at six shelters was
refurbished.
12
Rise in number of
channeled persons
in need of
international
protection.
From the shelter “Albergue
Hermanos en el Camino”,
Ixtepec, Oaxaca, 19 cases were
channeled this year as compared
to 5 in 2012, an increase of
380%; at the shelter “Albergue
Belén”, in Tapachula, Chiapas,
215 cases were channeled,
compared to 170 in 2012, an
increase on the order of 79%.
Percentile increases
in the number of
migrants requesting
protection or
assistance from
governmental
institutions.
Information that is
available is being put into
systematic order so as to
provide an exact figure.
1. Diploma course
Institutional
strengthening for
members of civil society
to protect and manage
spaces where attention to
migrants in transit is
provided.
2. Workshop Human
Security and the everyday
work of CSOs.
Number of
workshops and
diploma courses
offered to
strengthen capacity,
addressing CSOs.
Two workshops and 1 diploma
course, with the participation of
shelters for migrants, CSOs and
human rights centers in Chiapas,
Oaxaca and Tabasco; in
addition, the presence of
participants from the center and
north of Mexico as well as
Central America.
Number of dialogue
sessions held
convening CSOs
and UN agencies.
Two sessions are being
promoted for the National
Forums for Public Consultation
on the Special Plan for
Migration (PEM)
Work is in close collaboration
with the Collective PNDMigración to promote and
monitor the inclusion of the
Human Security perspective in
the Special Plan on Migration
that the Federal Government is
pushing for.
3. Workshop
International protection
and the right to request
asylum within the context
of migration in Mexico.
One workshop and one
diploma course have been
held, namely:
1. Diploma course
Migration, Health and
13
Number of CSOs
implementing tools
to strengthen their
capacities.
4 shelters have replicated
training on International
Protection; namely, the shelter
Albergue Jtatic Samuel Ruiz,
Palenque, Chiapas; the shelter
Organización FM4, of
Guadalajara, Jalisco; the shelter
Casa Refugiados, in Mexico
City, Federal District; and the
shelter Casa del Migrante
Saltillo, in Saltillo, Coahuila.
Human Rights.
2. Workshop Economic
Security in migrant
shelters: securing and
managing international
funds.
The Center for Human Rights
Usumacinta, in Tenosique,
Tabasco, reproduces and
disseminates material on
international protection.
Result 2
Fourteen migrant
shelters and CSOs
improved their
administrative and
operational
capacities to assist
vulnerable migrants
in transit and handle
their basic needs.
Number of
members of shelter
personnel that
received training.
Number of
meetings at migrant
shelters.
2 shelters, Hogar de la
Misericordia, de Arriaga,
Chiapas, and Manos Extendidas,
in Celaya, Guanajuato, have
created private spaces to house
the LGBTTT population.
A total of 17 members of shelter
personnel received training.
In 2013, a diagnosis was carried
out to serve as the basis to hold
meetings at shelters.
14
Number of
meetings and work
sessions held
among medical
service providers.
Eight work sessions were held
with health personnel, shelters
and institutions providing
services to migrants in the states
of Chiapas and Oaxaca during
the first two Diploma Course
Modules Migration, Health and
Human Rights.
Four work sessions were held in
Arriaga and Tapachula, Chiapas,
and in Ixtepec, Oaxaca.
Results
Indicators on
result
3 work meetings were held with
Secretaries of Health for the
states of Chiapas, Oaxaca and
Tabasco.
Progress
Observations
OBJECTIVE 3
To improve the
peaceful
coexistence among
receiving
communities and
migrant shelters
through creating
awareness in the
local population and
promoting their
participation in
networks to protect
vulnerable migrants
in transit.
Production of a
Result 1
diagnosis on the
Population from the coexistence
four target
patterns between
communities
migrants and local
sensitized regarding communities.
the vulnerabilities
and risks that
migrants in transit
are exposed to;
Four diagnoses were drawn up
on the patterns of coexistence in
the municipalities of Arriaga
and Tapachula, Chiapas, and in
Ixtepec, Oaxaca. To produce the
diagnoses, first a
methodological base was drawn
up, which allowed for taking up
the characteristics and
specificities of each of the four
The Strategy to Promote
Social and Community
Cohesion comprises the
following elements:
1. Processes for dialogue
with the inhabitants of
communities, shelters and
local governments.
15
dialogue sustained
among community
leaders and shelters
created.
target communities. These
community diagnoses lay the
groundwork for this activity;
from them the Strategy to
Promote Social and Community
Cohesion will be drawn, and
subsequently implemented in
the four municipalities.
In addition, as part of the
sensitization program to be
implemented at the local sphere,
a diagnostic workshop was held
to detect the needs for boosting
capacities in civil society to
provide assistance and
protection for migrants in
transit. Based on the results of
the diagnostic workshop, a
diploma course was designed
and offered: Capacity-Building
for Shelter Representatives and
CSOs Working to Protect and
Assist Migrants in Transit.
Sixteen shelter and CSO
representatives took the diploma
course.
Number of dialogue Based on the 4 diagnoses on
processes carried
patterns of coexistence, key
out in the
stakeholders and institutions
communities.
were identified to take part in
the dialogue processes. Worth
noting is that to date more than
20 key government and civil
society stakeholders have been
identified; relations have been
established with these
stakeholders. They will take part
in dialogue processes that are
under design at present.
2. Foster and follow-up
on actions (developed by
the communities) to
protect migrants.
3. Local social
communications strategy
addressing the
communities in transit to
promote peaceful
coexistence of the latter
with migrants.
4. Development of
actions to build capacity
of the local governments
to promote public policy
focused on local
development as relates to
migration.
By way of example of
stakeholders identified,
we have the following
institutions:
In Oaxaca:
1. Municipalities of
Oaxaca and Ixtepec;
2. Commissioner for
Human Rights for the
Government of the State
of Oaxaca;
3. General Coordination
Department for
Strengthening a Culture
of Human Rights;
16
4) Official Visit of the
Defender of Human
Rights for the State of
Oaxaca;
5) National Immigration
Institute Delegation in
Oaxaca;
6) Coordination
Department for Migrant
Health Services, Health
Services Department for
the State of Oaxaca;
7) Shelters: COMI and
Hermanos en el Camino;
and
8) Supervisory Unit for
Migrant Services.
In Chiapas:
1) Municipalities of
Tapachula y Arriaga;
2) Human Rights Center
Fray Matías de Córdova;
3) SDFSyECI;
4) Special Unit for
Crimes Against Migrants;
5) Beta Groups;
6) Central American
Community of Migrants
Residing in Tapachula;
7) Shelter for
unaccompanied boys,
girls and women; and
8) Red Cross.
17
There is a local
communications
strategy in place to
promote peaceful
coexistence.
Number of
communications
materials developed
and distributed.
The community diagnoses
helped to identify local radio
and newspapers as means to
develop the social
communication strategy as well
as content and key messages for
the strategy itself. Thus, the
strategy is at present under
design; materials for
communications will be
produced based on the strategy,
as will channels for distribution
and dissemination in the four
municipalities envisioned in the
project.
Number of
workshops for
Networks to protect government
migrants, created by authorities,
the local
focusing on
populations and
improving the use
shelters in the four
of public funds
communities.
earmarked for local
development.
Four work meetings were held
in 2013 with the town hall of the
four municipalities involved in
the project. As a result of these
meetings, it was determined that
local governments need 1) to
learn of the characteristics and
manners in which to apply the
various budgetary allocations
destined for the implementation
of public policy to promote local
development at both the state
and federal level, and 2) tools
and training programs to better
and increased use of said public
resources.
Result 2
On the other hand, the
International Forum on Human
Security and Migration, held in
coordination with the Town hall
of Tapachula, permitted learning
of the challenges and proposals
for improvement as refers to the
legal and budgetary framework
required to guarantee human
security and decreased
vulnerability for migrants in the
southern border region of
Mexico, bearing in mind the
discussion on human rights,
18
social development, security and
access to justice.
The results and contributions of
the work meetings with the
municipal governments and the
International Forum are at
present in the initial process of
strategy design for capacity
building of local governments.
Number of
cultural projects
developed.
Design and implementation of 6
cultural projects in the four
municipalities of the project.
With the development of the
cultural projects, the project is
currently working in putting the
results into systematic order as a
means to do the following in
2014 1) promote its
implementation in the
communities encompassed by
the project, and 2) encourage
that they become a matter of
joint action by the inhabitants of
the communities, local
authorities, CSOs and shelters.
Number of
materials
disseminated on
best practices for
the protection of
migrants.
During 2013, the identification
and systematic ordering of the 5
best practices focused on the
protection and assistance for
migrants in the states of
Queretaro, Oaxaca, Coahuila,
Veracruz and the Federal
District. During 2014, the
identification of best practices
will be expanded and the
planned publication will be
drafted for distribution among
the communities.
Number of events
to disseminate
information on
materials available
on best practices
for the protection of The presentation of the
publication is one of the aspects
migrants.
envisioned in the Strategy to
19
Promote Social and Community
Cohesion, to be implemented in
the four municipalities of the
project.
20
III.1 Objective 1
a) Description of Objective
This objective focuses on capacity building for federal and state government institutions
and on improved protection and aid for migrants in transit.
To achieve this objective through the activities of the Joint Programme requires
strengthening of interinstitutional coordination mechanisms with the purpose in mind of
fostering a dialogue and linkage between government entities and civil society players, as
well as proffering assistance, protection and basic services for migrants. At the same time,
materials and tools are produced for training civil servants in matters of human security and
migration; activities are carried out to sensitize and influence the strengthening of said civil
servants in their task assisting and protecting migrant persons. In the same manner, civil
society will be made aware of situations that threaten the human security of migrant
persons.
b) Progress toward Results
In terms of results, it is important to note in Objective 1 that:
1. The dialogue embarked on this year with the state and federal authorities and CSOs in
the states of Chiapas, Oaxaca and Tabasco, has opened the doors to the construction of an
interlocution mechanism between the states, CSOs and Programme agencies on matters of
human security and migration.
2. Educational activities carried out with an eye to strengthen institutions in terms of
protecting children have attained higher levels of commitment in cases received and
channeled on behalf of the DIF (Integral Family Development) and the INM (National
Immigration Institute), both being institutions mandated to guarantee the well-being,
development and full enjoyment of rights for migrant children and adolescents.
3. The diploma course Migration, Health and Human Rights, has helped build local
capacity to better deal with the sexual and reproductive health of migrant persons in
transit. At the same time, there is now a design for the information system so as to be able
to determine actions geared toward meeting the health needs of the migrant population.
4. Along the same lines, the interinstitutional draft document on the guidelines for an
integral approach to the illicit trafficking in migrant persons has been concluded.
5. An online platform is built to provide training in human security and migration, with
special emphasis placed on trafficking in persons, on migrant children and adolescents, on
the human rights of this population and on the prevention of crimes perpetrated against
them.
6. The strategy for the communications campaign has been designed; it focuses on
informing migrant persons in transit basic issues regarding their safety, human rights and
the services available to them along their migratory route.
■ Spaces for Interlocution
A mechanism for interinstitutional dialogue geared toward strengthening methods for
coordination and communication among government agencies and between the latter and
CSOs has been reinforced in Chiapas; this is to elicit better response from the migratory
challenges and to promote human security among migrants. In the state of Tabasco note has
been taken of the importance of opening up channels for dialogue in specific matters of
human rights and security. In the state of Oaxaca, consulting provided to state governments
has opened up spaces for communication through which work plans on human rights and
migration in collaboration with CSOs have been reinforced.
■ Institutional Capacity Building
A series of training materials and tools are being produced so that the three levels of
government may have the necessary technical and operational capacities to comply in a
coordinated manner with their responsibilities as concerns the protection of migrant persons
in transit. These include:
-
An e-learning platform on human security and migration
An e-learning platform on human security and migration is being developed for uploading.
The key authorities in the states of Chiapas, Oaxaca and Tabasco have taken ownership of
this instrument and are assuming responsibility for organizing training sessions, with the
participation of state agencies charged with proffering care and aid for migrant persons.
Worth noting is that the design of this instrument arises from a participatory diagnosis
carried out in collaboration with 9 government agencies, both federal and state, that have
identified voids where it is imperative to underscore national development needs. The
platform is available online at www.migrantesentransito.org .
22
First page of the e-learning platform on human security and migration. This platform was
built so that the three levels of government (local, state and federal) could have available a
technical and operational training tool to fully comply in a coordinated manner with their
responsibilities in terms of the care, assistance and protection of migrant persons.
-
Protection of migrant children
The significant increase in migration of separated or unaccompanied boys, girls and
adolescents in recent years attests to the need to the strengthen institutional capacity
of government agencies that are obligated to ensure the well-being, development
and effective enjoyment of rights for this population.
Article 112 of the Migration Act —in force since 2011 — indicates, since its
reform in June of 2013, that any unaccompanied migrant boy, girl or adolescent that
is brought to the attention of the INM(National Immigration Institute) will be
channeled immediately to the DIF (Integral Family Development), where he or she
will be guaranteed proper care during the time that his or her migratory situation is
being resolved. Article 29 of the same Law indicates that the national DIF, the State
DIF systems and the DIF in the Federal District can also provide social aid to
unaccompanied migrant boys, girls and adolescents who may require protection,
and, in addition to granting facilities for lodging during their stay. In offering aid for
lodging and stay, these agencies must guarantee the protection of unaccompanied
23
migrant boys, girls and adolescents insofar as the INM works on resolving their
migratory situation.
In light of this situation, a series of training workshops and forums for exchange
were organized for the three levels of government. These have contributed to the
creation of effective interinstitutional channels for dialogue among the DIF systems
at different levels and with the INM, regarding the protection and channeling of
migrant boys, girls and adolescents. Through these training activities, the number of
cases channeled to the DIF system shelters for care and protection has increased,
which in turn contributes to the progressive application of new legislation in the
matter of lodging and protection for migrant children in Mexico.
The main thematic lines of the training workshops are the Assessment of Higher
Interests (Evaluación del Interés Superior or EIS), and the importance of applying it
in a timely and systematic manner; differentiated care and protection; the need for
the international protection of boys and girls; boys and girls as victims of trafficking
in persons; gender and sexual diversity within the context of migration; effective
interinstitutional channeling; and, considerations to optimize interviews of migrant
boys and girls.
-
Health Services
In matters of sexual and reproductive health, the diploma course Migration, Health
and Human Rights set the scene for an academic space in which to exchange work
experiences, theoretical and methodological approaches and research findings that
have all contributed to build capacities for authorities and service providers
interested in the design and implementation of strategies to proffer health services
for migrants in transit in Mexico. These spaces have allowed for follow-up to
actions geared toward promoting the sexual and reproductive rights of migrant
women who work in the sex trade on the border of Mexico and Guatemala.
■ Awareness Campaign
The design of the communications campaign strategy was concluded. While the strategy
was under design, six work sessions were held with the representatives of Government,
CSOs and migrant shelters in the states of Chiapas and Oaxaca. These sessions helped to
harmonize the strategy with the goals of each agency involved, and individual and
collective achievements have been identified, thus contributing to consolidating the
campaign.
c) Activities carried out
Spaces for Interlocution
Spaces for the exchange of experiences have been encouraged and strengthened through
various forums, seminars and round table work meetings between federal and state
authorities, CSOs and UN agencies. This has allowed for bringing the concept of human
24
security into migratory policy, thus helping the adoption of agendas, work plans and
institutional programs focusing on the needs and empowerment of migrant persons.
Following are some of the activities:
-
The migratory and human security perspective was reinforced in the Committee for Followup and Vigilance of the Rights of Boys, Girls and Adolescents in the State of Chiapas,
under the leadership of the state DIF in Chiapas. On September 4, 2013, this Committee
was officially inaugurated in the Forum Human Security and Migrants in Transit: Progress
and Challenges in a Global Mexico.
-
Participation in the 4th Colloquium on International Migration. Policy and Administration
of Migration: progress and challenges in Mexico within the Context of the Americas, held
in San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas, November 13, 2013. Worth noting is that the
program complements the Migratory Policy Unit initiative of the Ministry of the Interior.
-
November 5 through 7, 2013, participation in the Week of the Migrant at the Senate of the
Republic. A space where legislators, decision makers, and representatives of various civil
society institutions and migrant shelters consider that the Mexican State, the states of the
country and CSOs face the task of promoting the orderly, humane and secure management
of migration.
-
On November 25, 2013, a work meeting and feedback process took place regarding the
human rights diagnosis for the state of Oaxaca regarding the chapter on the rights of
migrants; the Coordinating Committee led the meeting for the Diagnosis and Human Rights
Program for the State of Oaxaca.
-
To draw up the Special Migration Plan 2014-2018, there was active participation in work
tables and consultations with the Migratory Policy Unit, held in the Federal District of
Mexico City on November 21 and in the city of Tapachula, Chiapas, on December 2.
As a result, these strengthening actions have helped to make patent the need for migratory
management that encompasses the protection of the human rights of all migrant persons
and their families; the formulation of public policy based on evidence and empirical
knowledge, from the perspective of human security; the harmonization of migratory policy
with development priorities; y and the ongoing strengthening of the skills of public
authorities involved in the management of migration in Mexico.
While these interinstitutional dialogue processes have led to the construction of agreements,
it is imperative for the three levels of government to have the technical and operational
capacity to comply in an articulated manner with their responsibilities and continue with
activities to create awareness, thus ensuring a greater understanding among the stakeholders
involved in migratory management regarding risks and threats that migrants face along
their path through Mexico, especially at the southern border.
25
Work session with members of the network Mesa Transfronteriza, promoting the human
rights of migrants on both sides of the Mexico-Guatemala border. This event was held on
October 4, 2013, in Comitán de Domínguez, Chiapas. This network is one of civil
society’s initiatives that contributes to reducing the stigma held regarding migrants in
transit.
Institutional Capacity Building
With the purpose in mind of capacity building for government authorities regarding the
care, protection of and assistance to migrants in transit in Mexico, the following activities
are carried out by the agencies in charge of institutional strengthening of the Programme:
-
In December 2013, the construction of the e-learning platform was concluded; it
focuses on building the capacity of public authorities in charge of providing
assistance and protection for migrants in terms of human security and human rights.
This platform is divided into four modules, namely: I. Human security and
migration; II. Migrant children and adolescents; III. Trafficking in persons; and IV.
Human rights and crime prevention. Training activities and workshops for the
platform will begin during the first quarter of 2014 in the three states in which the
Joint Programme is in operation.
26
-
The desktop study on the federal and state stakeholders concludes in the states of
Chiapas, Oaxaca and Tabasco; this study is for developing interinstitutional
guidelines on the prevention and prosecution of the crime of illicit trafficking in
migrants.
-
Within the framework of the strategy to protect children, on May 7 and on June 19
and 20, two workshops were held in Tapachula, Chiapas, geared to Officers for the
Protection of Children (OPI) and the state and municipal DIF systems in Chiapas.
Subsequently, the Forum for Interinstitutional Exchange was held among these
agencies.
-
On August 1, the first OPI workshop was held in the city of Oaxaca; during this
workshop 6 INM delegations from around the country convened, namely: Oaxaca,
Federal District, Coahuila, Nuevo León, Chihuahua and Baja California. Similarly,
on September 25 and 26, two workshops for national and state DIF systems were
held, also in the city of Oaxaca, with the states of Oaxaca, Sonora, and Veracruz
taking part. Lastly, on September, the Forum for Interinstitutional Exchange was
held between the INM and the DIF systems, also in the city of Oaxaca, for a
discussion on the mechanisms to protect migrant children.
-
On October 10, the first training workshop addressing the OPI was kicked off, with
the participation of 6 delegations from around the country: Tabasco, San Luis
Potosí, Tlaxcala, Michoacán, Veracruz and the Federal District.
-
Following this same line, in November entertainment material was given to migrant
boys, girls and adolescents, to the DIF Systems in Chiapas and Oaxaca, and to the
INM delegations in Chiapas and Oaxaca. These materials contribute to
strengthening the work tools of public servants work to proffer care and protection
to migrant children.
27
UNHCR activity for refugee boys, girls and adolescents, in Tapachula, Chiapas, within
the framework of the World Refugee Day. One of the activities of the institutional
capacity building component of the Programme is to focus on offering tools to
competent state and federal institutions for the improvement of care for unaccompanied
migrant boys, girls and adolescents crossing the southern border of Mexico.
-
Through coordination with the INSP (National Public Health Institution) the first module of
the diploma course Migration, Health and Human Rights was n coordinación con el INSP,
se lleva a cabo, entre el 23 y el 27 de septiembre, en Tapachula, Chiapas, el primer módulo
del diplomado Migración, Salud y Derechos Humanos, para las instituciones públicas de
salud. Del 11 al 15 de noviembre, se imparte el segundo módulo de Migración, Salud y
Derechos Humanos, en Huatulco, Oaxaca.
The terms of reference for the design, development, and implementation of an information
system on sexual and reproductive health matters were drafted, with the underlying
objective of supporting local, jurisdictional and state decision-making for the improvement
of attention and service for migrants.
28
Participants in the diploma course Migration, Health and Human Rights, held from
September 23 through 27, 2013, in the city of Tapachula, Chiapas. Through this forum an
academic space was built for the exchange of practical work experiences and the results of
diagnoses on the health of migrants. The diploma course seeks to increase the response of
Health Sector authorities in charge of this population.
Communications Activities
The 1st Forum on Human Security and Migrants in Transit: Progress and Challenges of a
Global Mexico, September 4, in Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas. Stakeholders from the three
orders of government and civil society were convened to analyze the progress, challenges,
and commitment Mexico has shouldered to promote, protect and guarantee compliance of
human rights and the rights of migrants in situations of vulnerability and in their transit
through Mexico with the objective of promoting significant change in the level of human
security.
29
Forum to disseminate the progress that the Joint Programme has attained; held
in Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas, on September 4, 2013. As a result, it was agreed
to carry out studies geared toward analyzing new migratory flows, increasing
the inclusion of stakeholders from civil society in governmental plans and
generating public policy to promote educational plans to foster tolerance and at
the same time reduce the stigma that the migrant population is subject to.
-
On December 18, 2013, International Migrants Day, we organized together with the
SDFDyECI, the services fair We are all migrants; my rights and your rights are the same,
in the city of Tapachula, Chiapas. More than thirty governmental agencies and CSOs
convene to inform migrants of their rights and the services available to them in the state of
Chiapas in the fields of access to health, labor systems, migratory status and documentation
and more.
Together with the governmental authorities and migrant shelters, the design of a
communications strategy was concluded. This strategy focused on informing migrants in
transit of basic matters of security, human rights and services available along their
migratory routes. Thanks to this campaign, migrants begin to make informed decisions
once they become aware of their empowerment. Activities for the design of materials for
dissemination and implementation will begin during the first quarter of 2014.
A series of information materials —printed and audiovisual— addressed to migrant boys,
girls and adolescents requiring international protection. These materials are also
disseminated in shelters in the DIF and in INM migration stations, both governmental
agencies that lodge migrant boys, girls and adolescents in transit through Mexico, either
alone or accompanied.
The main objective of these information materials is to inform in clear, friendly and
creative language of the right to international protection.
30
The materials can be found online at:
http://www.acnur.org/t3/donde-trabaja/america/mexico/la-proteccion-de-las-personasrefugiadas-y-la-seguridad-humana/
Comic book story focusing on migrant children and
adolescents. As they read this story, children can identify
with persons who need international protection. The story
is based on real stories of boys, girls and young adults
whose status as refugees in Mexico has been recognized.
III.2 Objective 2
a) Description of the Objective
Objective 2 focuses on improving traffic conditions of migrants passing through Mexico,
from linking up with the CSOs involved in migration issues and human rights of migrants,
especially migrant shelters. The purpose of this Programme Objective is to build bonds of
cooperation and shared responsibility with these CSOs, to strengthen their capacity to
31
provide care and protection for migrants, besides providing spaces for interaction with the
proper authorities, from a critical and proactive approach.
b) Results of the Objective
In terms of results, it is important to consider the following in Objective 2:
1. The shelters have improved their self-management and care capacities. One of the results seen
from this is that these centers begin to assume the human security approach within their internal
processes. Similarly, the diversity and complementarity of training is progressively contributing to
strengthening the work done between CSOs and shelter networks, which enhance their ability to
provide care and protection for the migrants.
2. When using the figures provided by the Brothers on the Road (Hermanos en el Camino) and
Belén shelters, we found that the number of cases of people in need of international protection
channeled to the COMAR grew 200 percent, on average. The proper channeling process improved
after the workshop taught on this topic and after the shelters and CSOs made the commitment to
provide public information on the subject matter and accompany asylum seekers in the process.
3. After the training, they managed to consolidate spaces for dialogue and coordinated work
efforts among the UN agencies and a wide range of Civil Society Organizations at the local,
regional, and national levels. One of the most striking results in this respect is the approach
with the Collective for the National Plan for Development Migration, which was identified
as a strategic platform to support advocacy to structure the Special Plan for Migration.
■ Substantive strengthening or training activities
The training activities articulated in Objective 2 are aimed at promoting the empowerment
of both our direct partners and migrants. The implementation of the methodological
training strategy is aligned with a general strengthening target comprising the mandates of
the agencies involved in the component.
The organizations and shelters in Chiapas, Oaxaca, and Tabasco that receive training are
joined by another 139 collaborators and volunteers from central and northern Mexico who
are engaged in training activities directed to the shelters and the CSOs. Given that the
problems of the migration dynamics involved in the Programme are transversal and present
throughout the country, the integration of new participants is extremely valuable because it
serves to reinforce the civil society network that provides protection and assistance for
migrants nationwide.
■ Strengthening activities to improve management and care
These activities seek to promote a safe physical space for the migrants, as well as access to
sound spaces and communications with their communities of origin and their destinations.
This intervention strategy strives to make sure the protection provided by the shelters is
based on a perspective of access to rights, rather than support. Building activities to
improve management and care are aimed at strengthening the capacity of internal control
and caring for the migrant population in the shelters, as well as their physical structures and
32
operational capabilities. In the application of this approach, we are working on the
rehabilitation of the shelter infrastructure, the provision of working materials and
equipment, and training their staff members, in order to develop tools for financial
sustainability.
■ Building capacity for advocacy in public policy
Training for civil society within the Joint Programme is aimed at identifying strategic
opportunities for dialogue with government authorities to address the problems of
migration and asylum indicated in the political agenda. In this sense, it is important to
consider both the creation and consolidation of spaces for dialogue and the work done with
Collective PND-migration, to nurture and track the mainstreaming of human security in the
Special Plan for Migration, such as the participation of UN agencies in the national public
consultation forums that are held to work on the plan. These forums have led to the
development of proposals to strengthen the nation’s migration and asylum policies.
While waiting for the train to depart, a group of migrants staying at the shelter in
Arriaga, Chiapas receives information on their right to asylum in Mexico.
Disseminating useful information for migrants is part of the Joint Programme’s actions
to protect and reduce the vulnerable situations these people can face during their
journey.
33
c) Activities carried out
■ CSOs and migrant shelters receive technical assistance to improve the services they
provide for the migrant population
-
Two workshops and a diploma course are offered, which contribute to empowering
the shelters and the CSOs and are based on proactive involvement at every phase of
the strengthening process.
-
Diploma Course titled, Institutional strengthening for members of civil
society in the protection and management of the spaces used to assist
migrants in transit. This activity is coordinated by the UNDP in Mexico
City, November 11-15.
-
Workshop Human security in a CSO’s daily work. Coordinated by IOM,
these have included three different sessions held on October 4th, in Comitán,
Chiapas; November 20th in Mexico City; and December 1st in Tapachula,
Chiapas.
-
Workshop On International Protection and the right to seek asylum in the
Mexican migration context. Coordinated by the UNHCR, with the
participation of the UNFPA, IOM, COMAR, and the National Human
Rights Commission (CNDH), this workshop includes two working sessions
for each state of the Republic involved and realization, as a byproduct, of the
Diagnosis of international protection needs of migrants in Mexico and their
condition compared to other sources of vulnerability. Working sessions
covered so far are:
-
In Chiapas, the first and second sessions were held on May 23rd, and the 7th
and 8th of November, respectively; in Oaxaca, the first meeting was held on
August 2nd; and in Tabasco, the first meeting was held on October 9th. The
Diagnosis of international protection needs of migrants in Mexico and their
condition compared to other sources of vulnerability will be used as a tool to
track and follow up on these workshops. The Diagnosis will generate the
procedures manual that will serve as a guide to shelters and CSO in the
counseling and channeling process for asylum seekers and refugees.
34
Time at which the dynamics takes place. Seeking protection in another country During the
workshop International Protection and Asylum Law in the Context of Mexican
Immigration. Held on August 2nd, 2013, in Oaxaca City, Oaxaca. The workshops offered
by the Joint Programme emphasize aspects of protection and empowerment, own the
human security approach.
35
-
Printed materials on international protection and asylum in Mexico, which include
posters, brochures, a comic book, and two videos, one of which is aimed at migrant
children and the other at the migrant population in general.
Poster for information on the right to seek
refugee status in Mexico
Brochure on the procedure for recognition
of the condition of refugee
in Mexico
■ CSO migrant shelters and improving operations and guidance to assist migrants’
capacity and meet their basic needs.
 One workshop and one diploma course are offered, through which the
representatives of the organizations and shelters are empowered to provide better
care and assistance to migrants:
-
Workshop titled Economic security of migrant shelters, how to manage and
attract international funds. This was coordinated by IOM and held in Puerto
Escondido, Oaxaca on the 5th and 6th of November.
-
Diploma Program on Migration, Health and Human Rights. The results
obtained from the diploma course led to the articulation of a functional
network of sexual and reproductive health services for the migrants passing
through Tabasco, Oaxaca, and Chiapas.
Five shelters remodeled their infrastructure based on a needs assessment, in order to
ensure the dignity and human rights conditions of the migrants who benefit from
36
this care. The work done in this regard, involved routine maintenance and
customization of spaces, funding to improve water and sewer systems, the
construction of cisterns, refurbishing the bathrooms, showers, laundry, and trash
collection areas, and construction of a secure module for families, victims of human
trafficking, and asylum seekers in one of the shelters. The shelters that have been
rehabilitated to date include:
1. Home of Mercy-No One is a Foreigner (Hogar de la Misericordia – Nadie es
Extranjero, A.C.), in Arriaga, Chiapas.
2. Bethlehem Shelters, Home of the Scalabrini Migrant (Albergues Belén – Casa
del Migrante Scalabrini, A.C.), in Tapachula, Chiapas.
3. The Good Shepherd of the Poor and the Migrant (El Buen Pastor del Pobre y el
Migrante, A.C.), in Tapachula, Chiapas.
4. Brothers on the Road (Hermanos en el Camino, A.C.), in Ixtepec, Oaxaca.
5. The 72 Shelter (Albergue La 72) in Tenosique, Tabasco.

A total of 22 shelters have been equipped with safety equipment, bedroom furniture,
kitchen utensils, and medicines. It is important to note that the shelters themselves
have identified the above as their most pressing needs.
The work the shelters do to outfit and improve the infrastructure is part of the Joint
Programme’s human rights approach. Improving the services offered by these shelters
helps reduce some of the risks and vulnerabilities the migrants face. The photograph
shows the construction of The 72 Shelter (Albergue La 72) in Tabasco. This section will
serve victims of human trafficking, women, and families in vulnerable circumstances.
37
 Seven shelters were equipped with computers and access to the Internet in an effort
to encourage communication between migrants and their home communities and
their destinations. These supplies included desktop computers, headsets and
microphones; desks, prepaid internet telephone cards; and the reconstruction of the
spaces needed to install the equipment, including the wiring and ventilation and
energy. The shelters benefited in this regard include:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Jesus the Good Shepherd of the Poor and the Migrant (Jesús el Buen Pastor del
Pobre y el Migrante, A.C.), in Tapachula, Chiapas.
Jtatic Samuel Ruíz, in Palenque, Chiapas.
Home of Mercy-No One is a Stranger (Hogar de la Misericordia – Nadie es
Extranjero, A.C.), in Arriaga, Chiapas.
Brothers on the Road (Hermanos en el Camino A.C.), in Ixtepec, Oaxaca.
House of the Ruchagalú Migrant, in Matías Romero, Oaxaca.
La 72, in Tenosique, Tabasco.
The Guadalupan Dean’s Shelter, in Tierra Blanca, Veracruz.
 Progress has been made on the Research Protocol to strengthen communication
networks for the migrant shelters, which aims to identify areas of opportunity on
matters related to communication and cooperation among the shelters in the states
of Chiapas, Oaxaca, and Tabasco so they can collectively provide a more reasonable
response to the demands and contingencies of the migration dynamics.
III.3 Objective 3
a) Description of the Objective
Objective 3 focuses its work in the municipalities of Arriaga and Tapachula in the State of
Chiapas, and on Oaxaca and Ixtepec in the State of Oaxaca, where migration has created
significant challenges for the local governments, in terms of exercise and protection of the
rights of migrants and locals, as well as with respect to the reconstruction and strengthening
of the social fabric.
Therefore, the Strategy to Promote Social and Community Cohesion was created to respond
to the characteristics and environment of each one of the four selected municipalities
seeking: a) to help strengthen the capacity of local governments to succeed in promoting
initiatives or local development policies as a way to protect and nurture the exercise of the
rights of migrants and local inhabitants; and b) to raise awareness on migration among the
communities, and of the figure of the migrant as a strategy to promote peaceful coexistence,
strengthen their ties with CSOs and the local shelters providing assistance to the migrants,
and fostering the creation of networks for this demographic.
38
a) Results of the Objective
In terms of the results obtained under Objective 3, it is important to note the
following:
1. The production of four community assessments sheds light on the characteristics,
peculiarities, and challenges faced by each one of the four municipalities selected based on
migration and the presence of migrants in such communities. These diagnoses will
represent direct inputs for the generation of the Strategy to Promote Social and Community
Cohesion, to be implemented during 2014.
This achievement stresses the methodology implemented through questionnaires and indepth interviews with local residents, community leaders, government representatives, and
society, as well as a historical analysis of the municipalities, which collectively represent a
tool that has the potential to replicate community assessments in other municipalities with
a migrant presence.
In like manner, the results of these community assessments will provide inputs and a type
of manual to implement activities related to the other two components of the Joint
Programme, in terms of actions to be carried out to strengthen the work of civil society,
and the development of policy advocacy processes with all three levels of government, as
related to the challenges of migration.
2. Cultural projects were developed in an effort to use culture and its various forms
(theater, dance, photography) as a means to raise awareness and bring about change in the
perception held by the people living in the four target municipalities with regard to
migration and the migrant. The systematization that is currently being used to develop six
cultural projects aims to determine the results achieved in terms of the awareness of the
players and participants and also to facilitate the future replication of these experiences
under the tutelage of the participating communities themselves, in the project or in others
located on the migrant’s route.
3. The dialogue established with the local authorities in the four municipalities served to
provide information on the institutional challenges they face with regard to the protection
and assistance provided to migrants in transit, as well as the promotion of public policy
focused on the development of their local communities.
39
Representation of the play called the Nobodies in the town square of the city of Tapachula, Chiapas, on
December 8th, 2013. The work is part of one of six selected cultural projects within the Programme’s
Objective 3. The drama aims to foster social cohesion and improve the perception of the migration
phenomenon in communities. The work Nobodies was created from the life stories of migrants and residents
of the communities on the way, located in the State of Chiapas. The stage setup was presented in more than
10 public spaces in municipalities in Arriaga and Tapachula, Chiapas.
b) Activities carried out
•
The generation of the four diagnoses linked to the municipalities of Ixtepec,
Oaxaca, Arriaga, and Tapachula represents the key input for the generation of the
four working strategies to be implemented in each location during 2014. The results
of these assessments and of the meetings held with representatives of the local
governments served to demonstrate the need to consider working strategies that
effectively adapt to the local settings and characteristics, and that includes the
following: 1) development of the dialogue processes and the participatory work
plans with communities to promote social cohesion; 2) strengthening the capacity of
local governments to promote development policies involving both migrants and
local residents); and 3) promoting coordinated actions between local government,
civil society, and citizens, focusing on migrant assistance and protection. The four
diagnoses also facilitated the identification of key stakeholders to implement these
strategies at the institutional level. These players include the SDFDyECI (The
Secretariat for the Development of the Southern Border and Liaison for
International Cooperation), the Planning Committee for the Development of the
State of Oaxaca, the Human Rights Commissioner of the State of Oaxaca, and the
municipal governments of the four townships selected for the project, among others.
40
•
Strengthening institutional capacities of CSOs and shelters involved in relief
activities for migrants in transit. A needs assessment for building the capacity of
CSOs working to provide assistance to migrants was used to create a course that
was taught to 16 of these CSO representatives.
The CSO training tool, designed and implemented by UNDP, is part of the training
program driven in a coordinated manner by the different agencies involved in the
Joint Programme. This activity has served to help the CSO representatives and
shelters involved in migration strengthen their institutional capacity in areas such as
human security and their relationship with the migration phenomenon, and fund
raising and project designs, among others. Similarly, this specific coordination,
through a Joint Programme training plan, has involved a larger number of civil
society actors and provided greater accuracy in meeting the needs associated with
the work they do with migrants in transit through Mexico.
This tool can be used with other organizations working in the field hereinafter.
Furthermore, the course methodology allows for its replication within CSOs and
their networks in different states while also serving as a replicable and scalable
strategy. This activity contributes to the overall objective of the Joint Programme by
improving the institutional capacities of the CSOs in areas that extend beyond the
municipalities involved in these activities. In the coming months, monitoring efforts
will track how the skills acquired are reflected in the behavior of the counterparts,
which will benefit migrants in transit.
41
Participants in the Institutional Course to Strengthen Civil Society, held
November 11th -15th, 2013. These participants belong to the 16 CSOs who
provide direct care to migrants. The course included topics on gender,
international protection, and access to justice. The purpose of these courses is
aimed at improving the functional capacity of the staff members working at the
shelters when providing care.
A study of good practices and the identification of networks involved in the
protection of migrants in transit through communities were completed. In order to
establish a baseline and get input on the relationship between the local population in
the communities migrants transit through and the people in transit, protective
actions were identified and systematized from the shelters or the communities
migrant move through along the route in the Mexican states of Chiapas, Oaxaca, the
Federal District, Querétaro, and Coahuila.
The paper on the identification of community networks and the good practices study
will first serve as a factor to strengthen municipal action plans to improve social
cohesion and community protection networks in the service areas involved in the
Joint Programme, and secondly, to spread information on the actions taken in this
regard in other territorial areas, thus promoting their possible replication.
42
•
The development of six cultural projects not only helped raise awareness among the
population with respect to migration and the migrant figure, but also represented a
key element for establishing a connection between local government
representatives, civil society, and communities with a migrant presence. In the town
of Tapachula, the City’s involvement in implementing the cultural projects allowed
these to be disseminated in public spaces, thereby attracting a larger and more
diverse audience, in addition to raising the level of visibility on the work the
shelters and the CSOs do to help protect migrants. The contacts and collaboration
network established through the development of these initiatives is part of the
UNDP’s strategy to promote the strategies and guidelines that will encourage social
cohesion at the local level during 2014. The main actions carried out in the
framework of these projects are those listed below:
a) Project My Life is Yours implemented by the Educreando, A.C. organization, based
on interviews with migrants and local people in the communities of Arriaga and
Tapachula, in the State of Chiapas. They created a play called Nobodies. The play
featured a total of 10 performances in schools, public places, railways, migrant
shelters, shopping malls, and different neighborhoods in the cities of Arriaga and
Tapachula. Local authorities were involved in managing the sites and in the
dissemination activities. The objective of this activity was to raise awareness among
the local communities living in Arriaga and Tapachula on the phenomenon of transit
migration and to promote the exchange of views and experiences.
b) The Migrazoom Project was developed by the Meso-American Migrant Movement
(Movimiento Migrante Mesoamericano, A.C.) organization. This project is based on
a participatory photography approach, developed throughout Tapachula and Arriaga
in the States of Chiapas through Ixtepec in the State of Oaxaca. This project
involved giving disposable cameras to migrants on the border with Guatemala and
asking them to record their journeys in photographs. It is important to note that 40
percent of the cameras were delivered at the shelters in Arriaga and Ixtepec.
In late November, a first selection of the photographs obtained was completed, and
these were presented in various exhibitions both in the transit communities and in
the Mexican Senate. Exchange activities were created around the exhibition spaces
between migrants, government representatives, CSOs, and neighbors from each
community.
43
Photographs featuring the Migrazoom project, one of the cultural initiatives developed under the
Programme’s Third Objective. This project distributed disposable cameras among migrants who
cross Mexico’s southern border, with the purpose of obtaining a personal and first-hand look at their
journey. The staging of this proposal included talks with migrants on how to take pictures. Local
leaders in Tapachula and Arriaga, Chiapas, and Ixtepec, Oaxaca also participated alongside the
migrants. The young people leading the project managed to recover about 40 percent of the cameras
that were originally delivered, and used them to set up various exhibitions seeking to raise awareness
among the local communities in which the Programme was implemented, on the vulnerability of
migrants.
c) The project called Paper Hikers implemented by the Bacaanda, A.C. Cultural
Center, offered sculpture workshops at the migrant shelters, and these works were
then exhibited in the municipalities of Oaxaca de Juárez and Ixtepec in the State of
Oaxaca, and Tapachula and Arriaga, in Chiapas. The plastics workshops organized
at the Arriaga and Ixtepec shelters involved migrants and the locals living in each
community. These workshops called upon the people to work together, based on
typical migration elements in figures made out of different materials. The results of
these workshops were presented during the month of December, along with a
documentary made during the same, in the cities of Oaxaca, Oaxaca, and Tapachula,
Chiapas, during the celebration of the International Migrants Day (December 18th).
The Bacaanda Cultural Center encouraged inter-institutional debate on the
relationship between culture and migration, as an added value for improving social
cohesion and reconstruction of the social fabric.
d) The theater workshops project implemented by the Hermanos en el Camino, A.C.
shelter, included actions that served to connect locals living in Ixtepec, Oaxaca,
with the shelter staff members and migrants. A total of 16 theater workshops were
44
held, involving the shelter’s staff members, City authorities and high school
students from Ixtepec. The added value of this initiative is based on the promotion
of exchanges and cooperation between the municipal authorities and the migrant
shelter in Ixtepec. One of the elements identified as a good practice in these
projects, is the promotion of partnerships between civil society and government
institutions, both in terms of the event’s design and its logistical organization, as
well as in the implementation of cultural activities.
e) The event organized to celebrate the International Migrants Day project by the
Babelarte, A.C. association, included a cultural festival to raise awareness in the
municipality of Oaxaca de Juárez, Oaxaca, on the reality of migrants in transit. The
festival was held on September 1st, 2013, in a joint effort with the shelter for COMI
migrants of the city of Oaxaca. The festival, which was held in a public square of
the city of Oaxaca, included poetry, theater and musical activities. The active
participation of those responsible for running the shelter for migrants in transit in
the City of Oaxaca, along with various artistic groups, produced a significant impact
on local media, helping raise the level of visibility of migration at the local level.
f) The Migration Memorial Museum created by the Fray Matías de Córdova, A.C.
organization, has been proposed in an effort to improve the understanding of the
migration phenomenon among the local residents living in Tapachula, Chiapas. Key
community stakeholders created the Friends of the Museum group and held a forum
to present the proposal in Tapachula. They also designed an architectural model
project for the Museum and prepared a research report on migration in Tapachula.
Different organizations and institutions of Tapachula were served successfully
involved during this period, nurturing joint actions and efforts related to the
migration issue and the way this phenomenon can be positioned in terms of local
development.
III.4. Challenges and Opportunities
The Joint Programme seeks to confront the complexity of the challenges presented by
transit migration in Mexico. The challenges are many, however the multifactorial nature of
the phenomenon, the diversity of those involved, and the interests of partners and agencies
also contribute to defining important opportunities, especially those relating to the
promotion of the human security approach.
a) Challenges
 Within the framework of Programme activities aimed at positioning and promoting
human security, an important challenge consists in achieving the applicability of
this approach within public policy. While counterparts are becoming increasingly
familiar with this approach, it is still necessary to achieve concision in specific
governmental proposals.
45
 The institutions involved in migration recognize their duty in protecting and
guaranteeing the human rights and human security of migrant persons; however,
due to budgets and the availability of specialized personnel, limitations exist in the
development of specific projects and actions, especially at municipal level. This
affects the possibility of public servants moving from one place to another to
participate in Programme activities, for example, or to carry out more in-depth
work.
 In strengthening social cohesion among communities of migrants in transit, it is
important to recognize the situation in which these communities find themselves
and their opportunities for development, as well as the ways in which the local
population feel affected by transit migration. In this sense, the challenge consists in
linking strategies for sensitizing and strengthening migrant protection networks,
with policies that promote local economic development.
a) Opportunities
 Two important opportunities exist within the area of communication. The first is in
relation to the formulation of a joint communication strategy, which includes not
only the activities of the General Coordination Department, but also the
consolidation of the communicative activities and products pertaining to the 3
Programme Objectives. The second opportunity lies in the fact that the
implementation of a campaign directed towards providing useful information to
migrants gives rise to an opportunity to gain key partners at a federal level. The
CONAPRED and the Commission on Human Rights for the Federal District
(CDHDF, in Spanish) have both expressed an interest in working in partnership
with an aim to increasing the reach of the campaign. UNICEF is currently assessing
this latter proposal.
 The work carried out with shelters has been strengthened not only at the level of
internal management, but also in their ability to offer a differentiated perspective in
their response to the vulnerable among the migrant population. An example of this
can be seen in how these centers are consolidating their actions towards the migrant
population by beginning to focus on human security. This marks a departure from
an aid-based approach and a move towards focusing on access to rights. Here an
opportunity arises in relation to the sustainability of the strategies promoted by the
Programme and their results.
 The inclusion of shelters and organizations based in central and northern Mexico, in
strategies that strengthen civil society, encourages them to form partnerships while
gaining a wider perspective on the conditions of vulnerability faced by migrants, the
very conditions upon which advocacy efforts must be focused. An opportunity
arises therefore, to take advantage of these broader processes, in such a way that the
human security approach achieves a wider concerted response at the geographical
level.
46
 The Programme has enabled local government perspective to reach the federal
policy agenda, especially in regard to the specific challenges they face in providing
a simultaneous response towards the migrant population, as well as the local
population.
The involvement of municipal governments also presents an
opportunity to generate local policies adapted to the specific contexts of each
community.
III.5. Lessons learned
In its first year of implementation, the Joint Programme has generated experienced-based
learning that can be applied to generic situations and which can be useful in other contexts
as a result. In this way, the main lessons learned to date have been:
a) Programme management
 Invest in building a positive team dynamic that contributes to integrating the work
carried out by agencies. Holding periodic strategic planning and coordination
meetings allows for the formation of an integrated working team, the identification
of synergies and the reduction of duplicities. In addition, this integration makes it
easier to approach counterparts in various levels of Government, as well as
facilitating receptivity among local-level stakeholders, and cooperation between
United Nations System agencies.
b) Working with partners
 In the case of Chiapas, Oaxaca and Tabasco, the local political and social context
requires a unique analysis of the issues raised by the Programme, as well as an
approximation and construction of specific partnerships. By understanding and
adapting to these differences, the ground team can enhance the work being carried
out and avoid applying standardized solutions. This reinforces the methodological
rigorousness of the human security approach in the sense that the work should be
specific in accordance with each context. Adapting scope and activities to the local
and regional context is one of the lessons learned during the management of the
Joint Programme.
 At a community level, it is important to recognize that the migratory and social
cohesion context differs between each community, and as such, the stakeholders
involved in these matters have different needs with regard to training, guidance or
sensitizing tools for the local population. In order that the assessments and
activities achieve a greater impact, it is important to carry out a mapping of
permanent stakeholders and to identify in advance, the needs of CSOs, including
shelters and local authorities. Additionally, it is important to recognize that
different local environmental, political or economic factors can vary in short spaces
of time thus presenting new challenges within the Programme.
47
b) Application of the human security concept
 The integrality of the concept of human security allows for an analysis of the
problems that the phenomenon of transit migration presents for various sectors of
the government and society. As such, a large number of partners are implicated at
all levels (local, state, federal), in the working strategies and the activities carried
out as part of those strategies.
III.6. Best practice and innovation
Taking as best practice that methodology which has proven to be successful and resourceefficient in the delivery of results, the following best practices have been observed during
the first year of the Joint Programme’s implementation:
a) In relation to strategic planning
 The outcome mapping methodology applied to planning exercises. The strategic
planning work has been promoted by the General Coordination Department of the
Joint Programme. Through this exercise, the five executing agencies (IOM,
UNHCR, UNDP, UNFPA, UNODC), defined a schedule and a framework of
common actions (vision, mission, scope, strategic stakeholders, etc.). This has been
key to advancing in a concerted and coordinated way upon the ground, as well as
positioning Programme proposals at a political level. Planning exercises have
benefited from the promotion carried out by the UNFPA technical team.
 The joint identification of stakeholders, target groups and partners, and the interagency definition of the ways in which the ground team relates to them, has ensured
that the duplicity of contacts and activities is avoided, as well as ensuring that
partners do not experience problems as a result of saturation.
b) The protection of migrant boys, girls and adolescents
 As a result of inter-institutional exchange, care models have been created for
shelters pertaining to the National System for Integral Family Development (DIF, in
Spanish) in relation to the different protection offered to migrant boys, girls and
adolescents, asylum seekers and refugees. The necessary training and agreements
are being put into place so that via the Attorney General, the DIF systems may
legally represent boys, girls and adolescents claiming refugee status but who do not
currently have legal representation during the recognition process. This work has
entailed a strong collaboration between the IOM, the UNHCR and UNICEF at
federal level.
48
c) Diploma Course in Migration, Health and Human Rights
 Within the framework of institutional strengthening activities regarding sexual and
reproductive health, the INSP registered the Diploma Course in Migration, Health
and Human Rights on their website, included it in their program of continuous
training, and will issue certificates that hold credit value. In addition to this, the
INSP mobilized resources so that the full registration fee for the diploma would be
co-financed between the Institute itself, the Ford Foundation and the Joint
Programme.
c) Culture for the sensitizing of the transit population
 Municipal cultural projects were shown to be an effective vehicle for the sensitizing
of the population in regard to the migrant situation. The participation of shelters in
the UNDP call for cultural projects has reinforced their role in the community as
local stakeholders offering important services to the communities to which they
belong.
III.7. Work with strategic partners
Objective 1
In the work directed towards strengthening the abilities of government institutions, the
collaboration between the National Human Rights Commission (CNDH, in Spanish) and
the Mexican Commission for Refugee Aid (COMAR, in Spanish) stands out in their
development of training activities aimed at strengthening state-level strategies for
protecting migrant children.
It is also worth mentioning that the National Immigration Institute (INM, in Spanish), the
Attorney General of Justice (PGJ, in Spanish) and the DIF, in collaboration with their state
representatives, have been essential counterparts in identifying and carrying out needs
assessment work which has enabled the construction of an online learning platform, in
which local realities regarding human security and migration can be considered in concrete
terms. In regard to sexual and reproductive health, the INSP mobilized resources alongside
the Ford Foundation, to finance part of the logistical costs involved in the face-to-face
session of Module II of the platform. As a result of this partnership, 30 participants also
had the full cost of their training covered as well as their access to the Institute’s virtual
platform.
The IOM is currently working on designing a cooperative agreement with the Autonomous
University of Chiapas (UNACH, in Spanish), with the aim of drawing upon the Academy’s
research abilities, physical and human resources, as well as its infrastructure and
technology, in order to increase the impact of promoting the human security of migrant
persons, by way of a strategic partnership that gives even greater impetus to the activities,
especially in the areas of training and communication.
49
Objective 2
The work with strategic partners has been aimed towards strengthening the intervention
strategies and activities in shelters and CSOs. Strategic partners include the following:
a) Federal authorities: COMAR and the Federal Institute for Access to Information & Data
Protection (IFAI, in Spanish).
b) Established civil organizations: Central America and Mexico Migration Alliance
(CAMMINA, in Spanish), Borders with Justice Association (The Saltillo Migrant House);
Institute for Women in Migration (IMUMI, in Spanish), Amnesty International; Colectivo
PND-Migración.
c) CNDH.
d) Academia: The Southern Border College (ECOSUR, in Spanish), Program for Migratory
Matters (PRAMI, in Spanish) and the Dr. José María Luis Mora Research Institute.
Work carried out with these partners has generated three types of links:
a) Substantive link. Close involvement in the planning of activities, their content and in
stakeholder intervention in the implementation of said activities.
b) Influence-directed link. Opening channels of dialogue between civil society and
governmental authorities, for the generation of integral migratory and asylum policies.
c) Operative or managerial link. Logistical, operative and administrative support towards
achieving the programmed activities.
Objective 3
From a local perspective, strategic partnerships are strengthened by key stakeholders in
each of the selected transit communities in the states of Chiapas and Oaxaca.
From a social cohesion and protection perspective, priority is given to contacting local and
state authorities and civil organizations. During 2013, the aim of this objective was to
identify best practices and diagnose elements that improve cohesion and quality of life
among those communities in which migratory flow occurs. As such, strategic partnerships
with municipal stakeholders have been managed in the following way:
a) Local authorities have served as strategic partners in carrying out assessments of
municipal social programs, and in the design of strategies that improve the response
capacities towards the migratory phenomenon at a local level. The authorities have closely
collaborated in evaluating the different public programs and policies and their impact upon
the community context.
50
b) CSOs have contributed towards obtaining information for the promotion of social
cohesion in the community, especially in evaluating the response capacities of the
institutions and organizations facing the phenomenon of transit migration.
III.8. Inter-agency collaboration
● General Coordination Department
Since April 2013, the month in which all United Nations Agencies involved in the Joint
Programme began to articulate their actions on the ground, the Programme’s General
Coordination Department has sought that the Programme be implemented using the
existing technical abilities and experience of the executing agencies. To do so, the
following actions were carried out: a) the trajectory of migratory initiatives previously
carried out by each of the agencies was identified; b) any previous links held between
agencies and counterparts were taken into consideration and rapprochement activities were
distributed accordingly; and c) based on the above, monitoring reports were distributed in
order to assess progress against expected results. Various moments have been key to this
linkage effort:
1. During March 2013, a linked implementation schedule was designed to connect the
individual plans originally held by each agency. This meant that the 5 executing agencies
benefitted from a linked schedule.
2. In April, a strategic inter-agency framework was developed outlining the vision,
mission, scope and key stakeholders that would work with the Programme. This was
achieved by carrying out a strategic planning exercise known as “outcome mapping”.
Here it is important to highlight the way in which the UNFPA made this methodology
available to all of the agencies that form part of the Programme.
3. Between April and June, the inter-agency presentation of the Programme began in the
states of Chiapas, Oaxaca and Tabasco, with the aim of finding a common message and
making an initial approach towards counterparts. These presentations took into
consideration the accumulated influence held by the United Nations in each of the
aforementioned states.
4. Between June and August, the Programme’s communications plan was launched, and
sought to spread a common message and to create an impact by way of the activities and
products generated by the executing agencies. The strategy defined a common visual and
editorial line for all agencies, using as a reference, the image and colours used by the Trust
Fund for Human Security on their website and all of their printed materials. Under these
guidelines, diverse Programme materials were designed and distributed (folders, banners,
diptychs, business cards, etc.) emphasizing the need to apply human security to the area of
migration.
51
5. In an inter-agency exercise carried out in July, a quarterly consensus-based monitoring
system based on the outcome mapping methodology, was defined among all participating
agencies.
● Inter-agency coordination and public policy
This joint planning between agencies facilitated the achievement of various
accomplishments by the General Coordination Department of the Joint Programme, for
instance:
1. It was possible to have the theme of transit migration included within the strategies
of the Chiapas Development Plan 2013-2018. Having achieved this first step, subsequent
work included: a) input provision in the development of sectoral plans, constituting the first
stage in the implementation of the Development Plan and b) a successful push, alongside
the Secretary of Planning for Chiapas and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of
Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) for subsequent participation in the organization of the 2nd
Session of the State Planning and Development Committee of Chiapas (COPLADE, in
Spanish) held on September 5th in Tuxtla, Gutiérrez, Chiapas. The Joint Programme has
remained part of the planning instruments employed by the current government.
STATE DEVELOPMENT PLAN
CHIAPAS 2013 – 2018
THIRD GOVERNMENT REPORT
GOVERNMENT OF THE FREE AND SOVEREIGN STATE OF
OAXACA
Textual Report
The Joint Programme contributed to the development
of the State Development Plan, Chiapas
and the Third Government Report of Oaxaca
52
2. By working in coordination with the Human Rights Commission of Oaxaca State,
contributions were made to the migration section of the State Human Rights Program and,
as a result of the relationship established with the state of Oaxaca government headquarters,
the possibility arose to link the Programme’s human security approach to other public
policies executed by the state. Within this framework, Programme activities carried out
by this federative entity were included in the 3rd State Government Report.
3. In the State of Tabasco, the Coordination of Strategic Projects was named as the point
of integration of state government in Programme activities This has ensured that all of
the agencies involved in the Programme share a single focal point, thus avoiding duplicities
in the dialogue with counterparts.
● Inter-agency coordination and communications
Putting the communication strategy into practice has included a) the design of materials
for general dissemination by all executing agencies (banners, diptychs, folders, awning,
business cards, among others), portraying the characteristics of the initiative and the way in
which the concept should be applied to human security; b) an exercise on how to take
ownership of the human security approach within agencies, by way of a work session that
took place on August 30th in the UNICEF headquarters in Mexico City; c) the
implementation of a partnership between the CDHDF and CONAPRED for the design and
launch of a campaign focusing on the human rights and human security of migrants in
transit and the non-discrimination towards them; d) with the support of the United Nations
Information Center (CINU, in Spanish), and colleagues who carried out internship activities
for the Joint Programme, a mini website was designed within the CINU portal
(http://www.cinu.mx/minisitio/Programa_Conjunto_Migrantes/), Facebook and Twitter
pages were established, and a periodic newsletter and infosheet were created.
53
CINU Mexico portal mini website
The Programme’s first newsletter
■ Objective 1
It is important to highlight that the IOM, UNHCR and UNICEF are working together on
the development of an advocacy and lobbying strategy regarding public policy issues.
This partnership arose as a result of the contributions collected by the Joint Programme
field office located in Tuxtla Gutiérrez, where it is strongly perceived that the migratory
reality needs to be brought to the forefront and elevated to federal level, especially in the
case of migrant children and adolescents. In this way, and by taking advantage of the
federal presence of these agencies, a joint action plan can be designed that reinforces the
political dialogue directed towards strengthening channeling methods and the continuum of
care provided to migrant boys, girls and adolescents, as well as making visible the
institutional gaps that exist in putting state legislation into practice.
■ Objective 2
The collaboration between agencies can mainly be seen in the way in which shelters and
organizations identify activities to be carried out from a human security perspective. The
diversity and complementarity of the activities performed by each agency contributes to
strengthening the work carried out by the shelters and CSOs. An example of this can be
seen in how counterparts begin to implicate the human security approach within their
internal processes, no longer implementing actions from the perspective of an aid-based
approach, but from a differentiated focus on assistance and protection. Furthermore,
54
agencies have undertaken joint efforts to accompany civil society-driven advocacy
strategies, in order to generate integrated public policies on migration and asylum. It is
worth highlighting that the IOM and UNHCR carry out significant work in the design of a
new federal-level Special Migration Plan promoted by the Ministry of the Interior.
■ Objective 3
The work coordinated with the IOM and UNHCR has enabled the United Nations
Development Program to strengthen the relationship between stakeholders and partners
relevant to civil society, as well as facilitating the sharing of content relating to training
processes within this sector.
Furthermore, the close collaboration with the field offices of the UNHCR and IOM in
Tapachula, facilitated the relationship with the municipal authorities, as well as the
execution of the International Forum organized in conjunction with Tapachula local
government. In this forum, issues of interest were presented to all agencies involved in the
Programme, in relation to the challenges that the phenomenon of migration presents to
municipal governments.
It is important to emphasize the close collaboration that exists between the inter-agency
team located in Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas. Working within the same physical space has no
doubt favored the generation of an inter-agency team dynamic which facilitates the
integration of activities on a daily basis.
III.9. Trust Fund for Human Security Visit to Mexico
Between the 13th and 19th October 2013, the Joint Programme on Migrants in Transit had
the honor of receiving Mrs. Sonia Picado, Mrs. Mehrnaz Mostafavi and Mr. François
Fouinat, members of the United Nations Trust Fund for Human Security.
During their visit, the members participated in work meetings with federal and state
counterparts participating in the Programme; furthermore, the Fund delegation held a
meeting with CSOs linked to migrant assistance and protection; they visited one of the
border crossing points between Mexico and Guatemala, where one of the country’s largest
migrant holding stations is situated; and finally, they visited various migrant shelters where
the delegates had the opportunity to speak with migrants as well as the personnel in charge
of running these shelters.
55
The mission members visited one of the border crossing points on the border of Mexico
with Guatemala, and spoke to migrants about the risks they face on their journey towards
the north of the country. This photograph shows one of the Fund mission’s encounters
during their visit to the Jesús del Buen Pastor, del Pobre y del Migrante shelter located on
the southern border of Mexico in the municipality of Tapachula, Chiapas. This shelter
specializes in assisting injured migrants or migrants presenting with serious health
conditions.
This visit marks a turning point for the Programme, on one hand due to its significance in
relation to the international support shown on behalf of the Fund towards promoting the
human security approach to the migration phenomenon and, on the other hand, because the
visit reinforced the commitment of federal and state counterparts, as well as CSOs, towards
the results that this inter-agency initiative seeks to achieve.
In more precise terms, the visit contributed to:
a) Making the phenomenon of transit migration via Mexico more visible from a human
security perspective. In this sense, the visit reaffirmed the purpose of the Joint Programme
as a pilot experience from which government bodies and civil society organizations can
extract replicable tools.
b) Guaranteeing a greater commitment on behalf of the authorities and civil society in
regard to the results stated in the Joint Programme.
56
c) Confirming the relevance of the field team. The delegation members expressed the
importance of success within the inter-agency program, and of it becoming an example for
other international initiatives working within the area of migration.
d) The provision of a number of encouraging recommendations (e.g. the recommendation
to continue promoting the link between migration and development) that reinforce the
actions to be implemented in 2014. The 2014 working plan incorporates all of these
recommendations, while emphasizing integration as a way of working between the United
Nations Agencies and their governmental and social counterparts, as well as among the
agencies themselves.
57
IV. Work Plan 2014
Project Title: Support Strengthening of Governmental Institutions and Civil Society
Capacities to Improve Protection of Vulnerable Migrants in Transit
Reference Number: (IOM-SA-12-092)
Year: 2014
Expected Results
Activities Planned
Period
1
Organize two international
events on best practices for
Strengthened
migratory management and
capacity of state
human security.
and federal
Launch and implement einstitutions for
learning platform on migration
care of vulnerable and human security themes.
migrants in
Teach modules III and IV on
transit.
sexual and reproductive health.
Workshops on the guidelines for
a crosscutting approach to illicit
trafficking in migrants.
Training workshop on
mechanisms to protect migrant
children, geared to the DIF
system in the state of Tabasco.
Launch and implement the
communication campaign.
Put in systematic order the
On Objective 2:
results of the diagnosis on
Increased
international protection and the
capacity of CSOs, right to asylum in Mexico and
especially in
draft a manual for the
shelters, to
appropriate channeling of
provide assistance migrants in need of international
to migrants in
protection.
transit.
Distribution of materials on
international protection and the
right to asylum in Mexico in
shelters, migratory stations,
government agencies and CSOs.
Cooperating with civil society to
produce tools that include and
monitor the human security
perspective.
Draft protocol on social
On Objective 1:
x
2
x
3
x
x
Responsibl
e Agency
4
x
Budget Planned
IOM
(with the
participatio
n of
UNFPA and
UNODC)
Complete
figures
expected
by the end
of March
2014
Complete
figures
expected
by the end
of March
2014
UNHCR
(with the
participatio
n of
UNFPA)
Complete
figures
expected
by the end
of March
2014
Complete
figures
expected
by the end
of March
2014
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
58
cohesion and citizen security.
Follow up on strategies to
strengthen civil society’s
capacities on economic security
and development of
organizational skills.
Refurbishment of shelters and
gifting of basic needs and
security equipment and
medicine.
Produce and strengthen local
health systems focusing on
sexual and reproductive health.
Diagnose local social cohesion
On Objective 3:
in four transit communities for
Improved the
migrants.
peaceful
List and order best practices that
coexistence of
will encourage the establishment
receiving
of networks to protect migrants
communities and in
four
migrant
transit
migrant shelters
communities.
through creating
Call for cultural projects
awareness in local focusing on improving the
population and
perception of the migratory
promoting their
phenomenon and fostering a
participation in
culture of human rights and nonnetworks for the
discrimination.
protection of
Train
and
prepare
local
vulnerable
authorities: utilization of federal
migrants in
funding.
transit.
Interinstitutional
dialogue
process.
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
UNDP
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
Complete
figures
expected
by the end
of March
2014.
Communication
strategy
focusing on improving sheltercommunity relations.
59
Complete
figures
expected
by the end
of March
2014.
V. Funding and use of 2013 budget
Implementing agency
IOM
UNHCR
UNDP
UNODC
UNFPA
TOTAL
Budget for Year 1
692 587.37
315 972.07
331 771.69
103 305.29
115 830.00
1 761 726.35
Expenditures through
Balance
31/12/2013
288 382.00 404 205.37
315 972.07
0.00
163 870.50 167 901.19
60 473.14 42 832.15
106 940.00
8890.00
1 137 896.64 623 829.71
Percentage of
expenditure
42%
100%
49%
59%
92%
65%
 In Year 1, the Joint Programme on Migrants in Transit used close to 65% of the
funds corresponding to this period.
 Due to rotation of government personnel, not only in the federal administration but
also in the state administration of Chiapas, identification of key stakeholders was
delayed. In addition, political instability in the state of Oaxaca, the situation of
roadblocks due to events related to the teachers’ union in Chiapas and the overall
lack of security in the state of Tabasco, activities scheduled for the last quarter of
2013 were not carried out as planned, delaying the process and thus the utilization
of funds.
V.1. Other financial contributions in 2013
OTHER CONTRIBUTIONS
INSP (UNFPA activities)
FORD Foundation (UNFPA activities)
State government of Chiapas (400 m2 of office space, all services) from
March through December 2013
TOTAL
Contribution Year 1
23 000.00
19 000.00
52 827.00
94 827.00
 Pursuant to the project document, UNICEF is actively participating as a consulting
agency for the Joint Programme for Migrants in Transit. As yet the extent of
UNICEF’s participation in the Joint Programme has not been quantified, though
that information should be available by the time the final report is concluded.
 The INSP and the Ford Foundation contributed financially to UNFPA activities.
 The government of the state of Chiapas made available to the United Nations
agencies a work office. Since March 2013, the Joint Programme occupies part of
this office. In addition to the physical space, the government of the state of Chiapas
made available to the Programme computer equipment, free Internet access, free
access to telephony, maintenance services, and cleaning service in common areas.
60
Annex I
Year 2013:
Create
STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK OF THE JOINT PROGRAMME
VISION
Awareness Envision a Mexico in
which human security,
freedom and the human
rights of migrants in
transit through the
country are enforced.
Year 2014:
Contribute to creating a Consolidation
MISSION
safe environment in the
full exercise of human
rights of migrants in
transit through Mexico.
GOAL
Improve human security and
reduce risk for vulnerable
migrants in transit through the
southeast of Mexico.
OBJECTIVE 1. Support institutional capacity-building for federal and state governments to offer
assistance to migrants in transit.
Result 1
Created or strenghtened mechanisms for coordination and exchange among federal and state authorities, CSOs and UN agencies.
Result 2
Created an e-learning platform for training and distributed materials amongst government authorities, approximately some 800 federal and state
public servants.
Result 3
Designed a comprehensive communication strategy focusing on disseminating essential information for migrants in transit; disseminated the
program results with the added value concept of human security and government achievements to press and public at large.
OBJECTIVE 2. Increase the capacity of CSOs, especially in shelters, to provide assistance to migrants in transit.
Result 1
14 CSOs and shelters receive technical assistance to improve the services offered to migrant persons in transit.
Result 2
14 CSOs and shelters improve their administrative and operational capacities to assist migrants in transit and attend to their basic needs.
OBJECTIVE 3. Improve the peaceful coexistence of receiving communities and migrant shelters through sensitizing the local population
and promoting their participation in the networks designed to protect migrants in transit.
Result 1
The population of 4 receiving communities has been sensitized and made aware of the vulnerabilities of migrants in transit and dialogue among
community leaders and migrant shelters has been promoted.
Result 2
Protection networks were created in 4 receiving communities for migrant persons, managed by the local population and migrant shelters.
Federal
Ministry of the Interioro (SEGOB), Ministry of Foreign Affairs
(SER), Migratory Policy Unit under SEGOB, National
Migration Institute (INM), National Commission on Human
Rights (CNDH), National Commission for Public Security
(CNS), Mexican Commission for Refugee Aid (COMAR),
National Council to Prevent Discrimination (CONAPRED) and
CSOs.
STRATEGIC PARTNERS
State
State Departments of the National Immigration Institute (INM),
State Departments of the Interior, DIF (Integral Family
Development), Human Rights Commissions, State Investigative
Units, State Ministries of Health, Municipal Authorities, Shelters,
CSOs, Media, and Consular Office for Central and South America
in the South and Southeast States of Mexico.
Annex II
Annex III
Annex III
Framework of Action for Communication Strategy
The Joint Programme designed a communications strategy that integrates the
communications efforts and activities of each of the three Objectives. The strategy defines a
visual and editorial line, bearing in mind the concept, style and messages handled by the
United Nations Trust Fund for Human Security. The strategy focuses on a) the
dissemination of human security as a guide applicable to the migratory phenomenon in
Mexico, b) the protection of the rights of our target population, c) the creative bond
between social cohesion and development. The objectives of the strategies center on
sensitizing, preventing and influencing. Communications activities underscore the
establishment of partnerships for the dissemination of materials and the diagnoses produced
by the Programme and the implementation of a preventive campaign. The target population
comprises a) migrants and b) institutional and social counterparts working to protect and
assist migrants.
63
Team Members of the Joint Programme on Migrants in Transit
Joint Programme team. Left to right: Renata Calderón (consultant on protection of children
matters); Paulina Trujillo (Administrative Coordinator); Jorge Marengo (Consultant on
Supplies for Shelters); Rosa García (Technical Coordinator for Objective 2); Marlon
Cárdenas (General Coordinator); Ingrid Hernández-Ardieta (Technical Coordinator for
Objective 1); Rafael Moreno (Technical Coordinator for Objective 3).
64
*In addition to the Programme Coordination Unit, it is worth underscoring that the
contributions provided by the technical teams of the executing agencies include: José
Ramón Córdoba, Uriel Canales, Guadalupe Villalpaldo and Itzel Vivaldo for IOM; Rafael
Zavala, Susana Lozano and Mariana Echandi for UNHCR; Cynthia Valdés, Cristina
Martín and Vanessa Maya for UNDP; Javier Domínguez, Elsa Santos and Javier Arellano
at UNFPA; and Nayely Sánchez and Mariana Alegret at UNODC.
65