UNHCR partners in Mexico in 2019 included public institutions (both at federal and state level), civil society organizations and faith-based organizations, among others. UNHCR maintained close cooperation with the Government of Mexico, including through Mexico’s refugee commission COMAR, UNHCR’s direct counterpart on refugee affairs; the National Migration Authority; the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; the National System for Integral Family Development; the Public Defender’s Office and the Child Protection Authority, among others.
Protection and assistance services were provided in partnership with over 24 national/international NGOs and in cooperation with local authorities, refugees and host communities. Cooperation with UN agencies and international organizations was reinforced, mainly with IOM, UNICEF, ILO, UNFPA, UN Women, and ICRC, who continued supporting UNHCR’s refugee programme. UNHCR and IOM implemented activities in line with the 2019 the Regional Refugee and Migrant Response Plan (RMRP) for refugees and migrants from the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and participated in the elaboration of the 2020 Plan. In 2019, UNHCR, IOM and ICRC reactivated the inter-agency working group for shelter, where coordination mechanisms were agreed upon to ensure meaningful humanitarian responses, avoid duplications and complement resources.
During 2019, Mexico held the presidency pro-tempore of MIRPS (known under its Spanish acronym) as the regional application of the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework and the Global Compact on Refugees. With the support of a technical country team (COMAR, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and UNHCR), several regional and national results were achieved. At the regional level, MIRPS was expanded to include El Salvador among its member states. National Action Plans were strengthened, and all countries conducted a technical revision of their national commitments. In Mexico, this offered an opportunity to embrace and confirm its commitments towards the National Action Plan. Furthermore, the second annual MIRPS report and the Mexico City Declaration were adopted during the regional annual meeting. In preparation for the MIRPS side event at the Global Refugee Forum, a resource quantification exercise was undertaken by each MIRPS country to quantify the total needs, state investments and funding gaps. At the national level, main results related to the strengthening of COMAR (creation of new directorates and field offices, training, simplification of procedures); maintenance of existing good practices, such as the emission of temporary identification number (CURP under its Spanish acronym) for asylum-seekers; a roadmap for the comprehensive protection of children; the alternatives to detention project; and the labor integration programme.
In 2019, UNHCR contributed to the elaboration of the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) 2020-2025. The UNSDCF (formerly known as UNDAF) was the most important instrument for planning and implementation of activities of UN agencies at country level. The UN country team established migration and asylum as a priority and a cross-cutting theme within the new UNSDCF (coordinated by IOM and UNHCR). During the elaboration process, consultations were held with stakeholders from the Government, the private sector and civil society organization.
Fostering private sector engagement was also key for UNHCR in 2019. UNHCR pursued active engagements with key stakeholders to expand its network of private supporters. To expand durable solutions and integration programming, UNHCR also proactively sought to expand its existing network of employers, the Chambers of Commerce and other relevant actors.