New York, UNGA – 25 September 2024 Colombian Foreign Minister Luis Gilberto Murillo highlighted Colombia’s leading role in regional migration efforts, joining U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, White House Homeland Security Advisor Dr. Liz Sherwood-Randall and leaders from across the Americas for the IV Ministerial Meeting of the Los Angeles Declaration on Migration and Protection.
Held during the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), the meeting underscored Colombia’s leadership as the first country to assume the Secretariat of the Los Angeles Declaration, positioning it at the forefront of shaping hemispheric migration policy. Accompanied by Ambassador Daniel García-Peña, Minister Murillo joined Foreign Ministers and high-level representatives from signatory nations to reaffirm Colombia’s commitment to addressing shared migration challenges.
As a key player in regional migration and protection policy, Colombia is driving collective efforts to combat irregular migration and advancing the Declaration’s comprehensive agenda. “As the first Secretariat of the Los Angeles Declaration, Colombia is uniquely placed to lead collaborative efforts to tackle migration challenges across the hemisphere,” Foreign Minister Murillo stated. This leadership role allows Colombia to steer multilateral initiatives that ensure coordinated and sustainable migration policies across the region.
Secretary Blinken underscored Colombia’s leadership, highlighting its strategic role in tackling the region’s migration pressures and Colombia’s position as the first Secretariat to set a standard for how regional cooperation can respond to migration, further strengthening the Colombia-U.S. partnership, Blinken remarked. During the meeting, U.S. Secretary of State Blinken announced a significant investment in the United States’ total contributions to support the objectives of the Los Angeles Declaration.
"Our inaugural chair, Colombia, will work closely with the Secretariat – to guide our priorities for the L.A. Declaration’s implementation in 2025." he said. “We are so grateful for Colombia’s leadership and partnership, particularly in welcoming and integrating more than 2 million Venezuelan migrants and serving as a model for the region and indeed for the whole world.” Said White House Homeland Security Advisor Dr. Liz Sherwood-Randall.
This ministerial meeting marks a significant step in reaffirming the shared vision of the signatory countries, with Colombia playing a central role in crafting innovative, cooperative, and sustainable approaches to migration challenges. As the inaugural Secretariat, Colombia is leading efforts to advance the goals of the Los Angeles Declaration and manage migration flows across the Americas.