Spain convenes a high-level meeting to share Support Platform good practices

Tuesday 6 July 2021, Geneva

Three Support Platforms were launched during the Global Refugee Forum which took place in Geneva in December of 2019. The MIRPS Support Platform was organized to reinforce regional refugee responses in Central America and Mexico; IGAD for the East and Horn of Africa; and the SSAR Support Platform for Afghan refugees.

The Support Platforms are proving to be one of the most successful elements of the Global Compact on Refugees.

- Gillian Triggs

Spain, in its capacity as the chair of the MIRPS Support Platform, and UNHCR organized an event during the 81st Standing Committee meeting of UNHCR’s Executive Committee entitled Regional Solidarity with Displaced Populations and Host Communities: the Three Support Platforms. The objective of this event was to look at commonalities shared by the Support Platforms, and address challenges.

Ms. Gillian Triggs, UNHCR's Assistant High Commissioner for Protection, opened the event before introducing Ms. Cristina Gallach, the Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs of Spain. Ms Gallach emphasized that the Support Platforms are a "novel mechanism for international cooperation". She attributed its success to three factors:

• engagement with the MIRPS countries through their national Action Plans,
• solid technical support from UNHCR and OEA,
• and the in-depth interactions between Platform members at many levels, including in capitals and UNHCR Headquarters in Geneva and New York.

The event marked the end of the Spanish chairmanship of the MIRPS Support Platform and Canada was handed the leadership for the next twelve months. Ms Caroline Xavier, Associate Deputy Minister for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, spoke on the honor of assuming the Chair of the Support Platform and of being to lead the international community’s support for the region. 

"A key focus of Canada’s term as Chair will be to advance the empowerment and protection of women and girls on the move" concluded Ms. Xavier, after presenting the platform objectives for the next twelve months. 

A recording of the event has been made available.