Geneva, September 15, 2026 — In his capacity as Coordinator of the Group of Latin American and Caribbean Countries (GRULAC), Ambassador Rodolfo Benítez Verson, Cuba’s Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva, chaired a working meeting held today between the region's countries and Ms. Amy Pope, Director General of the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
The meeting facilitated a broad and constructive exchange regarding the main challenges arising from the regional migration landscape, the IOM’s work priorities, the organization's strained budgetary situation, and future strategic objectives and opportunities.
As a result of the meeting, actions were identified to further strengthen regional cooperation on migration matters and advance toward the shared goal of ensuring safe, orderly, and regular migration.
Global and regional migration governance is currently navigating one of the most complex and challenging periods for the IOM's work.
Anti-immigrant policies are proliferating in developed countries—particularly the United States—characterized by mass detentions, forced deportations, and the marginalization of millions of migrants, who are criminalized as part of openly xenophobic agendas. These realities negatively impact the free movement of people across countries of origin, transit, and destination alike.
In the current context, it is particularly important for Latin American and Caribbean countries to have IOM support regarding technical assistance, institutional capacity-building, and the protection of migrants who rely on multilateral cooperation.
