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Enlaces News #4, March 2003
Report from the Strategic Planning Meeting of
the
Regional Network of Civil Organizations on Migration
From February 26 through March 1, 2003, representatives of the Regional
Network of Civil Organizations on Migration (RNCOM) gathered in Chalatenango,
El Salvador, for a strategic planning meeting. The RNCOM, which was
founded in 1996 as a parallel civil society forum to the inter-governmental
Regional Conference on Migration (RCM), went through a period of transition
in 2002. During the first five years of its existence, the RNCOM’s
efforts focused on advocacy directed towards the RCM and the promotion
of a set of Regional Human Rights Guidelines for the treatment of migrants
in particular. After September 11, 2001, the Guidelines campaign stalled
and the viability of the RCM as a space in which civil society groups
could effectively advance the human rights of migrants at a regional
level became uncertain.
The planning process, which was initiated in late 2002 and culminated
in this Chalatenango meeting, gave RNCOM members the opportunity to
learn from the network’s accomplishments and to analyze its internal
strengths and weaknesses in the context of current external political
and economic conditions. The goal of the meeting was to define a vision
and mission statement for the network, and to develop a detailed five-year
strategic action plan related to that mission.
At the meeting, RNCOM representatives defined the network and its mission
as follows:
Vision and Mission
We are a regional network, made up of networks of civil society
organizations. With the aim of contributing to the defense and promotion
of the full range of human rights of migrant and refugee populations
and their families in places of origin, transit, and destination, we
conduct advocacy work around the formulation, adoption, and implementation
of public policies. We believe in solidarity, equity, and social justice,
and we have hope for a better world. We are bound by principles of respect
for diversity, democracy, and transparency.
The RNCOM defined strategic objectives for the upcoming five years that
fall into two categories: first, advocacy on public policies relating
to migration; second, internal network strengthening and development.
A translated detailed list of these objectives, the planned lines of
action associated with each of them, and indicators of success is available;
please contact us if you are interested in receiving it. Overall, three
major themes emerged from the meeting with regard to the future of the
RNCOM:
1. Strengthening Role of Migrant Organizations in Regional Advocacy
Processes
The need to support the participation of organized migrant communities
in regional policy debates that impact them was a key theme in planning
process discussions. Strengthening migrant organizations does not appear
as an explicit RNCOM strategic objective because participants acknowledged
that this organizational development needed to stem from migrant communities
themselves, and could not be carried out by non-migrant led organizations
or networks such as the RNCOM. However, participants recognized the
key roles these organizations could potentially play as protagonists
in regional migration policy debates, and acknowledged that migrant
community groups are emerging as important actors in countries of origin
and destination throughout the region. The network committed itself
to partnering with migrant-led organizations as much as possible, and
to ensuring that they participate in national forums as well as in the
RNCOM process.
2. Broaden the network’s agenda: Expand advocacy into
arenas beyond the Regional Conference on Migration
Participants emphasized that the current political climate requires
a creative approach to promoting migrants’ rights that must reach
beyond the Regional Conference on Migration (RCM) process. They emphasized
three relevant arenas in which the RNCOM should bring its experience
and perspectives to bear in order to advance migrants’ rights
from an integrated perspective. First, participants agreed that the
RNCOM must weigh in on the process of regionalization, which is being
rapidly advanced via an array of free trade agreements (ie, NAFTA, the
proposed Central American Free Trade Agreement, and the Free Trade Area
of the Americas) and integration proposals such as Plan Puebla Panamá.
The linkages between regional and global integration processes and migration
are becoming evident to civil society leaders, but there are huge gaps
between national immigration policy debates and discussions around international
trade and development policies. The RNCOM should be pushing policymakers
to consider and address the migration implications of regional integration
initiatives, and participants agreed that they would give immediate
priority to tackling this issue.
Second, participants agreed that they need to utilize regional and international
human rights instruments and engage international organizations other
than the RCM. RNCOM members plan to make better use of the national
visits and recommendations of the OAS and UN Special Rapporteurs for
Migrants, and to present at least three cases over the next five years
before the Inter-American Human Rights commission. Finally, participants
agreed on the need to emphasize public education and media relations
efforts – especially now, when short-term policy change is unlikely.
3. Internal strengthening: consolidate national-level networks
and define organizational structure
A third important theme that emerged from the planning meeting
had to do with strengthening the RNCOM as an inclusive, democratic,
effective regional coalition. In order to accomplish this, planning
meeting participants emphasized the need to strengthen the national-level
organizing processes in all RNCOM participating countries. National
forums have the responsibility for carrying out this country-based organizing
process, but the RNCOM should ensure that it develops an agenda that
is consistent with some of the key priorities of national groups.
The RNCOM defined a new internal organizational structure for the network.
A General Assembly consisting of all the member organizations of national-level
immigration forums will govern the network. Representatives of the Assembly
will convene annually or semi-annually to make key strategic decisions.
An executive committee of five people will be responsible for making
decisions and taking actions in the interim, in circumstances when consultation
with the entire Assembly would be impractical or impossible. Each country
will designate a national contact person who will be responsible for
disseminating information about internal network decisions or events
to all members of national forums between Assembly conventions. Internal
working groups composed of RNCOM members will be established to coordinate
the network’s efforts to advance its strategic goals. An advisory
committee of external experts will also be created to guide the network
in carrying out its work.
At the planning meeting, the 2003 Executive Committee was elected. The
newly elected members include:
Margarita Hurtado, from Guatemala.
Gilma Perez, from El Salvador.
Bridgitte Wooding, from the Dominican Republic.
Oscar Chacón, from the U.S. And
To-be-appointed representative from Costa Rica
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