Within the framework of the project Inclusive Cities, Communities of Solidarity, on January 11, 2022, a workshop was held with the aim of validating the matrix of the Migration Governance Indicators (MGI) with each of the key local actors of La Chorrera, with the purpose of having and exchange of accurate information and expanding their contributions or adding new data that can help to strengthen their capacities for a better governance of migration at the local level. 

MGIs help authorities take stock of existing initiatives in relation to migration, as well as facilitate the exchange of ideas and mutual learning on common challenges  and possible solutions. They are a tool for government authorities to take an introspective look at the measures that need to be implemented to  efficiently manage migration. 

In an effort to support local authorities in developing such solutions, the International Organization for  Migration has adapted MGIs to the  local level to provide an opportunity for cities and states to take an introspective look at existing initiatives and identify good practices, as well as areas with potential for further development.  Through a set of 90 indicators, MGIs at the local level also seek to provide a more complete picture of a country's migration governance with the juxtaposition of a local dimension to national assessments. 

In the Republic of Panama, the Migration Governance Indicators Profile was carried out at the national level in 2019. The process of the MGIs at the local level in La Chorrera was accompanied by an introductory meeting, identification of key actors, interviews with local government authorities, data collection and analysis, justification and references, meetings between the IOM team in Panama and the MGI review team worldwide, and finally the systematization of all the results in the matrix.  

It is important to note that the six dimensions of  the MGIs were taken into account: the rights of  migrants, the entire governmental approach, the well-being of  migrants, associations, the mobility dimension of crises and safe, orderly and regular migration, their categories and respective questions. "During this process it was very important to achieve synergy between the Organization and local authorities, since the results of the evaluation will be used to generate inclusive conversations with the national government and other actors," explained Dayán Bonilla, IOM's Project Specialist in Panama. 

The validation workshop was attended by authorities and representatives of public institutions at the local and central government level, members of associations and business chambers of La Chorrera, representatives of civil society organizations and international organizations. 

The project Inclusive Cities, Communities of Solidarity an inter-agency initiative between the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), IOM, UN-Habitat, with the support of the European Union that seeks to reduce the vulnerabilities of refugees and migrants and increase the resilience of host communities in six countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. 

For more information, contact IOM Panama's communications team at iompanama@iom.int.