Inter-American Course on Migration and Protection 6th Edition

Cosponsored by the Kellogg Institute's Notre Dame Eliminating Violence Against Women Lab with:
Information:
Date: Wednesday, October 8, Thursday, October 9, and Friday, October 10, 2025
Duration: 16 hours and 30 minutes total, divided into three segments of 5 hours and 30 minutes each day.
Time: 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (EST)
Location: OAS General Secretariat Building, 1889 F Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20006. Padilha Vidal Room, TL Floor.
Languages: The course will be taught in Spanish and English, with simultaneous interpretation in both languages.
DAY 1: Wednesday, October 8 (open to the public)
10:00 – 10:30 AM Opening remarks
- Sebastián Kraljevich, Secretary for Strengthening Democracy, Organization of American States (OAS)
- IOM Representative
- UNHCR Representative
- Maura Policelli, Representative of the University of Notre Dame
10:30 – 11:00 AM Migration, Asylum and Protection in the Americas: Main Dynamics and the Role of International Organizations
- Betilde Muñoz Pogossian, Director of the Department of Access to Rights, Organization of American States (OAS)
- Lorena Isla, Senior Legal Officer, UNHCR
- IOM Representative
11:00 – 11:10 AM Questions and Answers
11:10 - 11:40 AM International and inter-American norms and standards for the protection of internally displaced persons
- Paula Gaviria, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons (virtual)
- ICRC Representative
11:40 – 11:50 AM Questions and Answers
11:50 AM – 12:50 PM Panel: “Dismantling stereotypes about migrants to promote their integration: evidence from Latin America and Europe”
Moderation: To be determined.
- Abby Córdova, Keough School and Kellogg Institute, University of Notre Dame
- Alex Kustov, Assistant Professor, University of North Carolina at Charlotte
- Giancarlo Visconti, Assistant Professor of Government and Politics at the University of Maryland
12:50 – 1:00 PM Questions and Answers
1:00 – 2:30 PM Lunch break (Lunch at participants' expense)
2:30 – 3:00 PM International and Inter-American Norms and Standards for the Protection of Migrants
- IOM Representative
3:00 – 3:10 PM Questions and Answers
3:10 – 3:40 PM International and Inter-American Norms and Standards for the Protection of Asylum Seekers and Refugees: International Refugee Law and International Human Rights Law, the Principle of Non-Refoulement, and Complementary Protection
- Lorena Isla, Senior Legal Officer, UNHCR
3:40 - 3:50 PM Questions and Answers
3:50 - 4:50 PM Panel "Haitian Migration"
Moderation: OAS
- Diana Orces, Research Director, Public Religion Research Institute, Washington, D.C.
- Abby Córdova, Keough School and Kellogg Institute, University of Notre Dame
4:50 – 5:00 PM Questions and Answers
DAY 2: Thursday, October 9
10:00 - 10:50 AM Panel: “Community (Re)Integration of Migrants in Central America”
Moderation: Tom Hare, Pulte Institute for Global Development, Keough School of Global Affairs, University of Notre Dame
- Irene Palma, Central American Institute for Social Studies and Development (INCEDES)
- Marian Felix, Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences (FLACSO)
- Aida Geraldina Polanco Sorto, McMaster University
10:50 - 11:00 AM Questions and Answers
11:00 - 11:30 AM Prevention and Eradication of Statelessness
- Juan Pablo Terminiello, Senior Protection and Solutions Coordinator, UNHCR (virtual)
- Ivonne Garza, Georgetown University
- OHCHR Representative
11:30 – 11:40 AM Questions and Answers
11:40 AM – 12:50 PM Panel “Disaster Displacement and Climate Change”
Moderation: OAS
- Juan Carlos Méndez, Regional Advisor, Platform on Disaster Displacement (PDD) (virtual)
- IACHR representative
- Lorena Isla, Senior Legal Officer, UNHCR
- Álvaro Botero, Professor, American University Washington College of Law
12:50 - 1:00 PM Questions and Answers
1:00 - 2:30 PM Lunch break (Lunch at participants' expense)
2:30 - 3:15 PM Human trafficking and migrant smuggling in the context of successive mixed movements in the region
- Jane Piazer, Specialist, Violence Prevention Section, Department of Public Security, OAS
- Lorena Isla, Senior Legal Officer, UNHCR
- IOM Representative
3:15 – 3:30 PM Questions and Answers
3:30 – 5:00 PM Regional Meeting between the MIRPS Dialogue Mechanism and the Quito Process Academic Network
3:30 - 3:40 PM Panel Introduction
- Representative of the Government of Costa Rica, Pro Tempore Presidency of the MIRPS
- Representative of the Government of Ecuador, Pro Tempore Presidency of the Quito Process
3:40 - 4:40 PM Panel "Reception, Care, and Integration of Migrants and Refugees in the Americas: Academic Perspectives, Lessons Learned, and Best Practices"
Moderation: Ambassador Alejandra Solano, Permanent Representative of Costa Rica to the OAS
- MIRPS Dialogue Mechanism representative.
- Quito Process Academic Network representative.
- Representative of Canadian University
4:40 – 4:50 PM Questions and Answers
4:50 – 5:00 PM Conclusions and Next Steps
- Technical Secretariats of the Quito Process and MIRPS
DAY 3: Friday, October 10
10:00 AM – 12:30 PM Roundtable on partnerships with international financial institutions on refugee programs in Central America and Mexico
10:00 – 10:30 AM Opening remarks
- Representative of the Government of Colombia, Chair of the MIRPS Support Platform
- Representative of the Government of Costa Rica, Pro Tempore Presidency of the MIRPS
10:30 – 11:50 AM Panel: “Technical and Financial Cooperation for Protection and Solutions to Displacement: Perspectives and Contributions from International Cooperation”
Moderator: Dr. Betilde Muñoz Pogossian, Director, Department of Social Inclusion, OAS
10:40 – 10:55 AM Presentation on the World Bank initiative
- Ms. Ana Aguilera, Social Development Specialist, World Bank
- Government focal point where the initiative was implemented
10:55 – 11:10 AM Remarks on the Government of Canada initiative
- Representative of the Government of Canada
- Government focal point where the initiative was implemented
11:10 – 11:25 AM Presentation on the Honduran Returned Migrant Assistance Registry Information System (SIAMIR)
- Mr. Felipe Muñoz, Head of the Migration Unit, Inter-American Development Bank.
- Representative of the Honduran Ministry of Social Development
11:25 – 11:40 AM Intervention on CABEI initiative
- CABEI representative
- Representative of the government focal point where the initiative was implemented
11:40 – 11:55 AM Intervention on the CAF initiative
- CAF representative
- Representative of the government focal point where the initiative was implemented
11:55 AM - 12:20 PM Questions and Answers
12:20 - 12:30 PM Closing Remarks
- Representative of the Government of Colombia, Chair of the MIRPS Support Platform
12:30 – 2:30 PM Lunch break (Lunch at participants' expense)
2:30 – 4:45 PM Launch of the Private Sector Dialogue Mechanism of the Comprehensive Regional Framework for Protection and Solutions (MIRPS)
2:30 – 4:00 PM Panel: “Transformative Business: Private Sector Initiatives for Refugee Inclusion”
Moderation: Representative of the Government of Costa Rica, as MIRPS Pro Tempore Presidency
- Representative of Mabe, Mexico
- Representative of the Business Alliance for Development, Costa Rica
- Representative of the Tent Partnership for Refugees
- Representative of Fundaver, Brazil
4:00 – 4:20 PM Questions and Answers
4:20 – 4:45 PM Launch of the MIRPS Private Sector Mechanism
- Omer Badilla, Vice Minister of the Interior and Police of Costa Rica
- Representative of Colombia, President's Office, MIRPS Support Platform
4:45 – 5:00 PM Closing of the 6th Inter-American Course on Migration and Protection
- Omer Badilla, Vice Minister of the Interior and Police of Costa Rica
- Representative of the University of Notre Dame
- Betilde Muñoz Pogossian, Director of the Department of Access to Rights, Organization of American States (OAS)