Photo by RET.

Article by Paula Andrea Uribe, Regional Technical Manager for RET in Latin America and the Caribbean

RET and Action Against Hunger join forces to represent the Coalition of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) for the Defense of the Rights of Refugee, Migrants and Displaced Populations in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC WDN Coalition) in the Third Thematic Consultation of the Cartagena+40 process focused on forced displacement and disasters,  which was held on June 19 and 20, 2024 in Bogotá, Colombia.

Rolando Morales, Country Director of RET in Colombia, participated as a representative of the LAC WDN Coalition in the Third Thematic Consultation of the Cartagena+40 process, focused on forced displacement due to disasters. As part of the Coalition’s positioning, it was highlighted that we are at a critical point where collective action and solidarity are more necessary than ever to face the challenges imposed by the alarming impact of climate change in our region.

Climate impacts also disproportionately affect the most vulnerable sectors where inequality, poverty, violence, and lack of guarantees to exercise fundamental rights are observed. In addition to making disasters more frequent and intense, climate change will come to affect every facet of human life and thus have enormous repercussions on every component of the triple nexus. In particular, it will increase the demand for humanitarian aid, putting pressure on resources and response capacities. Climate change negatively affects sustainable development by jeopardizing food security, access to clean water, and stable livelihoods

We are at a critical point where collective action and solidarity are more necessary than ever to face the challenges imposed by the alarming impact of climate change in our region.

The coalition is a strategic alliance of national, regional and international civil society organizations with regional coverage in Latin America and the Caribbean that work with refugee, migrant and displaced populations within the framework of international and regional principles and standards of Human Rights, International Refugee Law and International Humanitarian Law. We seek to create the capacities and conditions within our alliance to achieve a genuine and meaningful dialogue with states and refugee and migrant populations in the region, in order to promote an effective and sustainable humanitarian response.

RET’s participation in this important space reaffirms our commitment to the protection and support of displaced and disaster-affected populations. Together, with the LAC RMD Coalition and other key actors, we work to build a more resilient and supportive future for all.

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