GENERAL OBJECTIVE

• The workshop will be designed to contribute to the development of the Counter-Smuggling Work Plan of the Liaison Officer Network to Combat Migrant Smuggling and Trafficking, of the Regional Conference on Migration, with the aim of promoting medium- and long-term strategic policies and actions at the regional level.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES

During the workshop, input is expected to be generated by the RCM Member Countries under the following specific objectives:

• To have a counter-smuggling regional planning tool in place, with a comprehensive approach;
• To strengthen regional coordination and follow-up on actions and policies developed on this matter;
• To offer regional common goals in terms of preventing and combating migrant smuggling, including protection of the most vulnerable migrants, in accordance with the Guidelines established by the RCM (http://www.programamesoamerica.iom.int/sites/default/files/LINEAMIENTOS%20ingles.pdf);
• To enable the development of more standardized operating procedures in the different countries in the region;
• To promote collaboration and complementariness with other regional spaces addressing the topic to a certain extent (for example, the Regional Coalition Against Trafficking in Persons and Migrant Smuggling; the Commission of Police Chiefs and Directors for Central America, the Caribbean and Colombia; the Ad Hoc Working Group on Extraregional Migrants (RCM), etc.).