Special Event

Inter-American Course on Migration and Protection 6th Edition

Wed
Oct
08

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)