Panama

With the aim of training and updating the concepts of protection from a human rights perspective,  the International Organization for Migration (IOM) held the closing ceremony of the online training course "Protection of migrants in vulnerable conditions in Panama". This course, aimed at key actors who provide guidance, assistance and / or services to migrants in a vulnerable condition in Panama, was held from July 26 to August 25, 2021.  

More than 50 journalists and media professionals from 6 countries participated in the first edition of the Specialized Course on Communication and Migration provided by the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The course promotes an ethical and responsible production of migration-related information and the comprehensive approach to this phenomenon in informative content.

The Training Program on Migration Policy and Governance with a Focus on Local and Municipal Levels consisted of the virtual module Migration Trends in Latin America and three synchronous sessions. Participants enjoyed a panel with representatives of the local governments of Costa Rica and El Salvador, and the Federation of Local Governments of Latin America (FLACMA), who addressed the main needs and priorities identified for local migration governance. Subsequently, a space for group work made it possible to collectively build some recommendations from the perspectives of communities of destination, origin, return and transit.

On July 21 and 22 2021, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) conducted a series of workshops and trainings on Camp Coordination and Camp Management (CCCM) for institutional and non-governmental actors working in migrant reception stations in the province of Darién.

Within the framework of the International Organization for Migration's (IOM) protection strategy in  Panama, which involves objectives of the  "Western Hemisphere Program"   and the  "Refugee and Migrant Response Plan for Venezuela",  both  funded by the  U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration (PRM), introductory briefings were organized to inform and update protection concepts from a human rights perspective aimed at key actors who provide  guidance, assistance or services to vulnerable migrants in Panama.  

More than 100 people from 24 countries met on August 4 in the "Seminar on International Migration and Local Development: Challenges and Benefits of Good Migration Governance at the Local Level". The activity presented the methodology and experiences around the Migration Governance Indicators (MGI), a comprehensive IOM tool that was created to support countries in the implementation of target 10.7 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Panama joins the global efforts to eradicate Trafficking in Persons through the development of strategies and mechanisms to prevent, suppress and punish this crime, in addition to seeking due attention to the victims.

With the aim of raising awareness, sensitizing and  strengthening the capacities of the personnel of ports, airports and other points of entry, as well as the government officials that are part of the National Commission against Human Trafficking from the participating regions,  a cycle of training sessions was developed and organized by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in various provinces of the Republic of Panama. 

As part of the efforts to protect the rights of migrants, the Regional Conference on Migration (RCM) launched a regional training programme focused on the protection and assistance of vulnerable migrants in conjunction with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), who in 2019 developed the Handbook on Protection and Assistance for Migrants Vulnerable to Violence, Exploitation and Abuse.