El Salvador: Launch of a National Coordination Mechanism on Migration

San Salvador — On 26 May 2023, the Government of El Salvador launched the National Coordination Mechanism (NCM) on Human Mobility. This mechanism will provide the institutional set-up needed to improve the coordination and coherence of the government’s work on migration by bringing together relevant government entities across various sectors and levels of governance.

This is a key step for ensuring a whole-of-government approach to implement the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration (GCM). The entities that are part of the mechanism cover priority areas such as the prevention of irregular migration, assistance and protection, labour mobility, diaspora, return and reintegration, and climate change.

The Vice Minister of Diaspora and Human Mobility and Chair of the NCM, Cindy Mariella Portal, described the mechanism as “a space through which we [the Government] will be able to provide a coordinated and effective response on migration matters. The mechanism is crucial to ensure an effective response to the challenges and needs of migrants, their families and people experiencing human mobility in our country.”

One of the key activities will be the development of a GCM Action Plan, with the support of the EU-funded Building Migration Partnerships (BMP) Programme. A mapping, needs assessment, and a series of consultations are being carried out to develop the Plan before the end of the year. This process is informed by a step-by-step guidance produced by the UN Network on Migration.

“The UN Network on Migration in El Salvador reaffirms its commitment to support the successful implementation of the GCM through the development and integral functioning of this Mechanism,” said the UN Resident Coordinator in El Salvador, Birgit Gerstenberg, “which we know will be successful in further strengthening the great efforts that the government is already making in this area.”

Migration is a priority issue in El Salvador. The government is a GCM Champion country and is committed to making migration more orderly and regular. The mechanism will be instrumental in creating meaningful engagement and cooperation on migration by avoiding duplication of efforts and better responding to the opportunities and challenges of migration.

“This Mechanism is an effort to strategically align all actions and all actors working for all migrant populations and their families.” said the Chargé d'Affaires of the European Union Delegation in El Salvador, Borja García. “The European Union is confident that, with the support of the BMP programme, El Salvador will develop a visionary GCM implementation plan.”

IOM’s Chief of Mission and Coordinator of the UN Network on Migration in the country, Nicola Graviano, stated that “together we may achieve this vision, this dream of a safe, orderly and regular migration. A migration that is not a necessity but an option.”

This work is supported by funding from the European Commission’s Directorate General for International Partnerships (DG INTPA) under the global Building Migration Partnerships Programme implemented by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), as Coordinator and Secretariat of the Network, in close collaboration with Network members - comprised of 39 UN entities - and stakeholders.

For more information, please contact Lizeth Lema (llema@iom.int) or Karla Estrada (kestrada@iom.int).