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OAS and Panama sign agreement to strengthen humanitarian assistance and protection for refugees in the Darien region

The General Secretariat of the Organization of American States (GS/OAS) and the Government of the Republic of Panama, through the Ministry of Government and Ciudad del Saber Foundation, signed an agreement that establishes the starting point for the project "Strengthening the humanitarian assistance, integration and protection of refugees, asylum seekers and host communities in Darien province, in line with the National Action Plan MIRPS, with a focus on children, adolescents and women”.

The project will be implemented between 2023 and 2024 with funding from the Comprehensive Regional Protection and Solutions Framework Fund (MIRPS Fund), established within the OAS and administered by its Department of Social Inclusion.

This project will benefit more than 800 refugees and asylum seekers in the province of Darién, specifically in Metetí, Alto Playona, Boca de Cupé and Comarca Emberá (Canaan Membrillo and Bajo Chiquito), through:

1) The provision of basic humanitarian assistance kits for health and hygiene (taking into account differentiated needs of women, men and girls and boys),
2) The provision of school kits for children and adolescents,
3) Training in micro enterprise and basic equipment to women entrepreneurs in the area.

The initiative is part of the first portfolio of projects of the MIRPS Fund, launched with the pioneering contribution of Spain.

The event was attended by the Minister of Government of Panama, Roger Tejada Bryden; the Vice Minister of Government of Panama, Juana López Córdoba; the Director of the Department of Social Inclusion of the OAS, Betilde Muñoz-Pogossian; the Representative of the OAS General Secretariat in Panama, Rubén Farje; the Ambassador of Spain in Panama, Ignacio Guzmán Palacios; the Director for the Americas of UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, José Samaniego; the Regional Coordinator of the MIRPS Fund, Melissa Pocasangre and the Director of Public Relations of the Ciudad del Saber Foundation, Vilma Falconett.

About the MIRPS Fund:

The MIRPS Fund is the specific voluntary contributions fund of the Comprehensive Regional Protection and Solutions Framework in Central America and Mexico, unanimously approved by the OAS Permanent Council on May 27, 2020. The approval of this fund fulfills a mandate given to the OAS General Secretariat by the highest political body of the Organization during the OAS General Assembly held in 2019 in Medellin, Colombia.

The MIRPS Fund is one of the mechanisms for the collection and channeling of financial resources through voluntary contributions that will allow the 7 MIRPS countries (Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Costa Rica and Panama) to comply with the commitments acquired in the framework of this process, responding from an approach of shared responsibility to the challenges posed by forced displacement in this region, in order to protect and improve the living conditions of people who have been forced to be displaced and the communities that host them. But also, in light of the challenges that have unfortunately already intensified with the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic which will require additional investments and efforts to address the needs of refugees, asylum seekers, internally displaced persons and returnees with protection needs in this region.

About the MIRPS:

The Comprehensive Regional Protection and Solutions Framework (MIRPS) is an innovative mechanism for the implementation of the Global Compact on Refugees to facilitate regional cooperation among countries of origin, transit and destination for greater shared responsibility for prevention, protection and durable solutions in the face of increased forced displacement in Central America and Mexico. The MIRPS Technical Secretariat is comprised of the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the Organization of American States (OAS), through its Department of Social Inclusion.

Reference: E-063/23