NEWSLETTER

ECUADOR

SEPTEMBER 2013

The Integrated Programme for Municipal Development (PIDEM by its initials in Spanish), financed by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), presented the results of last stage of its work, focusing on improving the quality of life of population groups living on the country’s northern border by providing social and productive infrastructure. The Programme has benefited the population by means of development projects such as bridges, secondary roads, sanitation systems, and drinking and irrigation water.

The PIDEM provided continuity to the work started in 2001 under the Northern Border Development Programme (2001-2007).

Officials from various national government institutions attended the presentation, along with mayors, representatives of decentral ized autonomous governments and project beneficiaries.

In his welcome address, Rogelio Bernal highlighted the significant work done by the IOM this decade, through which over 600,000 people have benefited from 451 projects, in a framework of social inclusion and sustainability. The total investment has been of over US$ 120 million.

PRESENTATION  OF  FINAL  RESULTS  OF  INTEGRATED  PROGRAMME  FOR  MUNICIPAL  DEVELOPMENT  

Representatives of the High-level Panel of Eminent Persons presented their report on the United Nations Agenda for Post-2015 Development in Quito.

This report, containing illustrative goals and important issues to be addressed after 2015, was prepared by 27 world renowned figures under the title “New Global Partnership: eradicating poverty and transforming economies through sustainable development”. The document puts forward the need for a new paradigm and a universal agenda calling for five major transformative changes: Leave no-one behind; Put sustainable development at the core of the agenda, Transform the economy for creating jobs and inclusive growth, Build peace and effective, open and accountable institutions for all, and Forge a new global partnership. To achieve this, it is indispensable to eradicate extreme poverty from the face of the Earth by 2030.

On the issue of migration, the report states that universal human rights and the fundamental freedoms of migrants must be respected. Migrants make a positive contribution to the economy of both host countries and countries of origin. The document was presented by Gisela Alonso, member of the High-level Panel and President of the Cuban Environment Agency.

In order to discuss the implications of the Panel of Eminent Persons for Latin America, the UN One Secretariat for the Post-2015 Agenda and the Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences (FLACSO) organized a Latin American forum including prominent figures from the Central Government and academics, among others. Rogelio Bernal, Chief of the IOM Mission to Ecuador, acted as moderator for the panel on “Transparent, Responsible, and Effective Institutions”. Pabel Muñoz, National Secretary of Planning and Development (SENPLADES) and Socorro Ramírez, professor of the National University of Colombia, also participated in this panel.

In previous months, work had been done on the Post-2015 National Consultation through a process carried out by the United Nations, in which IOM played a salient role. Over 3,000 people (including Afro-Ecuadorians, indigenous women, people with disabilities, young people deprived of their freedom, and members of the GLBTI community) were interviewed as a way to identify their needs and take these to the international arena for discussion. At the same time, the national report was presented, during which the Technical Secretary for the Eradication of Poverty of Ecuador underscored the importance of the issue of migration in the Post-2015 talks.

Around the same dates, the ambassadors in Quito of the member countries of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) met and emphasized the importance of migration in talks held within the Post-2015 Agenda.

HIGH LEVEL PANEL ON POST-2015 DEVELOPMENT GOALS IN LATIN AMERICA

AGENDA

From 24 to 26 September training event was held by the Migrant Assistance Division (MAD) for the focal points on trafficking and return of IOM missions in South America. The event took place in the Holiday Inn in Quito, and its objectives were: To share information regarding local, regional and global initiatives; to strengthen the knowledge about principles, regulations, concepts and standard operating procedures regarding Counter-Trafficking and Assisted Voluntary Return; To identify opportunities for the future and To establish closer cooperation between regions.

25 participants from the IOM missions of Argentina, Spain, Portugal, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay, as well as three members of MAD from the IOM Head Office in Geneva and the Regional Office in Buenos Aires participated from the event.

In response to a special request from the Esmeraldas Office of the National Water Department (SENAGUA), IOM approved the donation of a boat plus outboard motor, to be used for the institution’s activities along the coast of the province. The aim is to optimize the resources provided by USAID under the programme implemented by IOM.

On September 26, among the activities held for the International Day against Sexual Exploitation and Human Traff icking, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Alas de Colibrí Foundation (ACF), the Ministry of Interior and Simon Bolivar Andean University (UASB) organized the forum “Comprehensive Protection and Assistance for Victims of Human Trafficking” at UASB’s auditorium.

Ms. Verónica Feican, Advisor on the Issue of Human Trafficking at the Ministry of Interior; Ms. Rosilyne Borland, Regional Technical Specialist in Migrant Rights and Vulnerable Groups in IOM Argentina; Ambassador Fernando Flores, Director of Consular Affairs at the Ministry of International Relations and Human Mobility; and Ms. Verónica Supliguicha, Technician at Alas de Colibrí Foundation participated in the event. Ms. Susy Garbay, Professor at UASB acted as the moderator.

The panellists spoke about the following subjects: The process to create the Unified National Protocol for Comprehensive Protection and Assistance to Victims of Human-Trafficking, a Guide for Health Care Providers and Psychosocial attention for victims of Trafficking.

FORUM ON “COMPREHENSIVE PROTECTION AND ASSISTANCE FOR VICTIMS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING”

OTHER ACTIVITIES

The Parliamentary Group for the Rights of People in Human Mobility, with the support and participation of the International Organization for Migration-Ecuador (IOM), the Observatory on Human Trafficking (Ecuador Chapter) and the Quito Anti-Trafficking Network conducted a dialogue on Human Trafficking in Ecuador, in the framework of the National Assembly’s debates on the Integrated Criminal Code. The dialogue was held on the occasion of the International Day against Sexual Exploitation and Human Trafficking.

This encounter sought to raise awareness of the c a u s e s a n d consequences of this c r i m e a f f e c t i n g a l l regions of the world and to promote action to c u r b t h e s c o u r g e , particularly within the f r a m e w o r k o f t h e discussions being held at the Assembly with

respect to the Comprehensive Penal Code.

During his address at the event, the Chief of Mission of IOM Ecuador took the opportunity to present a summary of the conclusions and recommendations of the numerous studies on Human Trafficking carried out by IOM in Ecuador and their relevance for the Comprehensive Penal Code.

DIALOGUE ON HUMAN TRAFFICKING AT THE ECUADORIAN NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

IOM ECUADOR AND THE MINISTRY OF INTERIOR ORGANIZE THE FINAL

WORKSHOP FOR THE CREATION AND VALIDATION OF THE UNIFIED NATIONAL PROTOCOL FOR

COMPREHENSIVE PROTECTION AND ASSISTANCE TO VICTIMS OF HUMAN-

TRAFFICKING

On September 27, IOM and the Ministry of Interior organized the final workshop for the creation and validation of the Unified National P r o t o c o l f o r C o m p r e h e n s i v e Protection and Assistance to Victims of Human-Trafficking. This document w i l l b e t h e i n s t r u m e n t u s e d nationwide and guaranteed by the Ecuadorian Government to offer comprehensive attention to people who have been victims of human trafficking.

A f l o w c h a r t s p e c i f y i n g t h e participation of each one of the institutions in charge of protecting and giving comprehensive attention to victims of trafficking was shown during the workshop. The objective is to offer proper assistance and guidance to these people. Moreover, the adequate terminology to be used in the Protocol was also discussed.

Civil society organizations working to protect victims of human trafficking also attended the event, in addition to the government institutions. The Protocol is expected to come out in November 2013.

LIFE STORY

Joselyn Domínguez returned from Italy in January this year under the Voluntary Return and Assisted Reintegration Programme.

She went to that country with the idea of helping her mother work to maintain her three younger siblings. However, the situation in Italy was not what she had expected. She could not find work and sorely missed her brothers and sisters as, since her mother had emigrated years before, Joselyn had been the one looking after them. “I was really depressed and missed siblings so much. All I wanted to do was go back.”

Joselyn and her mother decided that the best thing she could do was go back to Ecuador and so they asked the IOM Office in Italy for help. Thanks to the support provided by this programme, Joselyn is now back at her country, living with her siblings, and has gone back to school. When she emigrated to Italy, she had to drop out of the last year of secondary education. “I am very grateful for the help. Now I go to the same school as my brothers and sisters and the money you provided has helped my mother so that she doesn’t have to pay for my tuition as well.”

Joselyn wants to keep on studying and get a scholarship to study journalism at university. She hopes her mother, who is still in Italy, will also come home.

At the end of the 2012 – 2013 fiscal year, the RSC – LA (Resettlement Support Centre - Latin America) reported that its full implementation had been satisfactorily completed. To achieve this, the RSC has passed through certain stages of training and capacity building of its staff, remodelling offices, developing Standardized Operating Procedures (SOP) especially for the centre and creating a Cultural Orientation curriculum specific to the United States.

All this work aimed to satisfy the needs of the beneficiaries.

To draw up the SOPs, they were assisted in July by the valuable help and training work of Sara Elsayed, supervisor of the RSC in Nepal, and in September by Mark Sloan, Regional RSC Manager for Nepal. The RSC – LA now has a procedures manual appropr iate to Lat in America, allowing cases assigned for resettlement to the United States to be correctly processed.

RESETTLEMENT SUPPORT CENTRE - LATIN AMERICA