634th Meeting, 42nd Session, Committee on Migrant Workers (CMW)

Distinguished members of the committee, distinguished members of the delegation of the Republic of Ecuador.
Ladies and gentlemen, I call to order 634th meeting of the committee on the protection of the rights of all migrant workers and members of their families.
Committee will proceed agenda item seven, consideration of reports submitted by state parties under Article 73 of the Convention.
This afternoon we will continue in public dialogue with the consideration of the fourth periodic report of Republic of Ecuador.
I would like once again to welcome His Excellcy Saul Pakuku and of course Ambassador Mcelov case and the delegation for the second round of our constructive dialogue.
Before I give the floor to the delegation of Ecuador, I would like to ask count rapporteurs whether they would like to take the floor now or after.
I therefore now give the floor to His Excellency M.
Saúl Pacurucu, head of delegation to present your presentations or ask you members to respond to remaining questions raised by the committee yesterday.
Thank you, sir.
We to start this chair.
Good afternoon, Chair.
Dear colleagues, good afternoon.
International Protection and vulnerable groups.
I'm going to try to answer all the questions you had on this rubric yesterday, and then we have protection guarantees.
Protection guarantees for refugee come under a hierarchy, starting with the Supreme standard, which has general guarantees which are essential for all proceedings.
Also, the organic law and human mobility has specific guarantees of due process, which ought to be observed in a compulsory manner to determine the status of refugee.
In that regard, the Organic Law on human mobility states that procedures should be completely individualized and that any request will necessarily lead to a face to face personal interview, allowing the person requesting to choose the gender of the interviewer in cases of gender violence.
Also, the State shall provide a qualified free interpreter, provide guidance in understandable language, and shall have a shared burden of proof between the petitioner and the state staff.
The standard requires all decisions to be submitted in writing and be duly grounded, granting the right to present administrative remedies with suspensive effect.
And lastly, it guarantees the principle of confidentiality and data protection.
Proceedings are free of charge.
Lack of documentation should not prevent a request from going through, and it provides priority processing for victims of torture or gender violence, as well as specific guarantees that protect the best interest of children and adolescents by appointing a guardian and the participation of the ombudsman should they be alone, unaccopanied, or separated from their families.
Also, the organic law on human mobility includes certain principles that are of compulsory observation in any case involving human mobility, including refugee, such as universal citizenship, along with the principle of free human mobility, equality before the law, and non discrimination.
The pro persona principle in human mobility, prevention of criminalization, the principle of non reformment the best interests of the child or adolescent, and protecting the family unit.
For processes of family reunification.
The Organic Law on human mobility with a security approach for expedite deportations.
Deportation procedures are carried out in keeping with the organic law on human mobility and pursuant to the criteria established through the rulings of the Constitutional Court of Ecuador.
Substantiation of deportation proceedings takes place within the legally established time frame, the time frame not exceeding 24 hours.
And during that time frame, there is no restriction or limitation whatsoever or constitutional guarantees other than the case is explicitly contemplated in the legislation in force.
In other words, the proceedings are carried out strictly abiding by the guarantees of due process, guaranteeing the effective rights to defense, administrative, guarantees and other constitutional and legal guarantees that apply in the particular case.
Link between migration and public security is the next section.
As part of migration management, the link between migration and public security lies in the fact that the state needs to provide a verification, registration, and oversight mechanism for migration flows in order to preserve public order, to prevent risks related to transnational crime, human trafficking, illicit smugging and migrants, and other activities that could have an impact on the populations safety.
However, these actions need to take place abiding by the Constitution, respecting international human rights instruments, and legislation in force in the area of human mobility, ensuring the migration management measures are applied objectively, proportionately, and without discrimination, heeding the principles and rights of people on the move.
Potential weakening of procedural guarantees.
As part of migration management, there is no weakening of procedural guarantees.
Once administrative measures take place in keeping with constitutional and legal proceedings guiding due process.
Migration management includes defense, assistance and interpretation whenever appropriate, as well as the possibility of challenging the decisions adopted by the relevant authority.
As a result, the migration management methods are done complying with the principles of legality, proportionality, and respect for human rights, guaranteeing compliance with procedural guarantees of people subjected to these proceedings.
On abuse and violations on the rights of migrant persons, which is the next section.
In keeping with the principles and rights enshrined in the Constitution and international human rights instruments, all people are guaranteed full enjoyment of the right to equality and non discrimination, guaranteeing equal treatment as rights holders.
And people with duties and responsibilities and opportunities.
In this framework, no one can be subject to discrimination on the grounds of ethnicity, place of birth, gender, identity, sex, migration condition, or any other condition provided in the national and international Legal Order.
Now, I'll speak about deportation during internal armed conflict.
Deportation in the context of an internal armed conflict or exceptional security situations takes place nationally and internationally, respecting due process and the international obligations taken on by the State of Ecuador.
Exercising its sovereignty and migration management, the state can adopt measures regarding foreigners who are infringing migration regulation or represent a proven risk to public safety or domestic order.
However, any deportation decision is adopted on a case by case basis as long as it's well grounded and is done proportionally.
Observing the principle of non refment and other human rights standards, avoiding the return of people to places where their life, personal integrity, or freedom can be jeopardized.
Children and adolescents affected by migration.
The state of Ecuador, through its constitution, international instruments and applicable regulatory framework guarantees the right of children and adolescents.
To this end, it also has a whole host of specific public policies implemented by various national institutions, including, among others, the National Agenda for intergenerational Equality 2025, 2029.
Regarding the number of children and adolescents that have been deported from the United States, the total figure stands at 5,226 for 2022 to 2025.
Regarding measures for the protection of children returning to Ecuador with their deported or returned parents.
The action of the State of Ecuador in this area is based on the current National International Legal Order, particularly the Vietna Convention on Consul Relations of 1963, the Convention of the Rights of the Child, the Constitution of the Republic of Ecuador, and the Organic Law on human mobility, as well as its related regulations.
In this context, the Consular Embassy of Ecuador and the United States carry out their support, assistance, and consular protection duties, protecting the integrity of Ecuadorian children and adolescents.
Mainly unaccompanied ones, prioritizing the principle of the best interests of the child and fully observing their human rights.
To that end, the Embassy of Ecuador and the United States and its consular offices maintain constant coordination with the Office of Refugee Resettlement at the United States Department of Health and Human Services, as well as the Board of Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
And that, in order to ensure that minors are in proper conditions to obtain information, conduct consular visits, provide support and carry out any relevant follow up.
As for the actions that are carried out once migrants return to Ecuador, In every process of forced return to Ecuador of Ecuadorian nationals and this includes children and adolescents, the protocol for assistance to Ecuadorians deported from the United States of America is activated.
This protocol sets forth an institutional route for the reception and initial assistance at the point of entry into the national territory.
In this process, we have, according to their attributions and authorities, the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Human Development, and the Ministry of Public Health, among others.
Should unaccompanied children and adolescents exist, in addition to the involvement of the aforementioned institution, the National Office of the Specialized Police for Children and Adolescents work in coordination with the Ministry of Human Development triggered their specific protocols for comprehensive protection aimed at guaranteeing the restoration of the rights and the adoption of immediate protection measures.
In accordance with current regulations.
And once Ecuadorian children and adolescents have entered the country, it will be the institutions entrusted in Ecuador for the defense and restoration of the rights that are responsible for providing comprehensive psychological, educational and social care in keeping with their regulations, protocols, and institutional procedures.
So in that regard, the Ministry of Human Development promotes interinstitutional work in order to address the identify and address the protection needs of children and adolescents who return to the country with their parents or legal representatives.
Through special protection services and existing referral mechanisms, coordination is carried out with the competent entities in order to facilitate access to social services, to educational, health and social protection services with the aim to family and community reintegration, and their effective enjoyment of their rights.
Likewise, whenever there are situations of rights violations, the corresponding protection avenues are activated in coordination with the entities entrusted with the protection of children.
Now, on children remaining in Ecuador, the Ministry of Human Development, as part of its purview of special protection, has policies, programs, and services aimed at the comprehensive protection of children and adolescents living in situations of vulnerability.
This includes children whose parents have emigrated abroad and who remain under the care of relatives or third parties.
Assistance is provided through family support services by strengthening parental and community capacities, case monitoring, and working in coordination with competent bodies in order to ensure access to rights and improving the protective environments available to children and adolescents.
Children and adolescents who remain in the country while their parents reside abroad may access, depending on the particular situation and the established eligibility criteria, they may have access to special protection services, family and community support, as well as interinstitutional coordination in order to guarantee access to education, health, social protection, and other basic services.
The Ministry of Urban Development Is strengthening family and community protective factors by promoting safe, inclusive, and protective environments that promote comprehensive development, emotional well being, and the full enjoyment of the rights of children and adolescents.
Closure of border crossings and measures adopted in border areas is the next section.
Within the framework of the powers attributed to migration control authorities and pursuant to the executive decrease issued by the president of the Republic, some exceptional measures have been implemented by temporarily closing certain border crossings, with the aim of improving the comprehensive security of the state, of preserving public order, and optimizing the migration flows in situations that so warranted.
These provisions have made it possible to improve the migration surveillance and verification actions to prevent the irregular entry and exit of individuals to combat transnational illicit activities related to the illegal smuggling in migrants, human trafficking, and other related crimes, as well as ensuring more efficient management of migration flows in border areas.
These measures have been implemented temporarily in keeping with the guidelines established by competent authorities and in keeping with the current legal and constitutional framework, ensuring that it is implemented, mindful of the criteria of necessity, proportionality, and the human rights of people in the context of human mobility.
Now I'll speak about the impact on migrants.
Migration control measures in border areas seek to improve the management of migration flows and to contribute to state security.
While at the same time, safeguarding the rights of people in the context of human mobility.
The application of these measures makes it possible to identify the needs for international protection, to prevent situations of vulnerability, and to ensure that migration processes take place in an orderly manner in accordance with the law.
Further, the activities of the migration authority are carried out in keeping or in observance of the principles of equality and non discrimination, promoting dignified and respectful treatment of migrants, regardless of their nationality or migration status.
Now I'll speak about compatibility with international obligations.
Migration control measures adopted by the states are compatible with international obligations that we have accepted in the area of human rights and human mobility.
Insofar as their implementation is based on the principles of legality, necessity, proportionality, and respect for human dignity.
In this regard, the activities of the migration authority observe commitments taken on in international instruments ratified by the country, guaranteeing access to due process, the right to defense, the principle of non reforma where applicable, and the protection of priority groups.
In this way, migration management powers are harmonized with the state's duty to protect the rights of migrants and to properly manage migration flows.
Ecuador upholds a strong commitment with the implementation of the Global Compact for safe, orderly, and regular migration.
This is seen in its national policies, as well as in its active participation in international follow up mechanisms.
In this regard, the country continues to make progress by fulfilling its programmatic commitments.
Recently, it adopted the national plan for the implementation 2025, 2029.
This is a comprehensive roadmap that strengthens migration governance, promotes the socioeconomic inclusion of migrants, promotes data generation, and consolidates a human rights based approach to human mobility management.
Ecuador's leadership in the international migration agenda has been recognized.
Through its participation in the champion country and through its co chairmanship of Championships initiative together with Canada in 2025.
Ecuador chaired the Global Forum on Migration and Development, 2019 2020 period, promoting dialogue and international cooperation in migration.
The country actively participated in the International Migration Review Forum in 2025, reiterating its commitment to the effective implementation of the Google Compact and to improving international cooperation in order to address challenges and opportunities of human mobility.
Regionally, Ecuador is an active participant in various fora for dialogue and cooperation on migration.
The country is an active member of the South American Conference on Migration, which is the main regional forum for political coordination on migration.
And has played a leadership role in the Quito process, a process that was established to improve the regional response to the movements of Venezuelan nationals.
Ecuador also participates in another regional and interregional fora aimed at promoting the protection of migrants rights, socio economic integration, and the exchange of good practices.
These initiatives reflect Ecuador's commitment to regional cooperation and to orderly, safe, and regular migration management.
Now, I will speak about enforced disappearance.
The Ecuadorian State has improved the search for missing persons in the context of human mobility.
We have done this through both technical and interinstitutional instruments.
Since April 2018, we have a protocol for missing, lost or incommunicado Ecuadorians abroad.
In 2020, the organic law and its regulations updated it.
Since 2022, We have a registration manual from the Ministry of the Interior.
In 2025, we concluded the technical phase of the new interinstitutional protocol, and it's currently under legal review for signature.
For 2026, we're planning a specific protocol for foreigners missing in Ecuador.
Regardless of what their migration status might be.
Now, I'm answering questions on trafficking in persons, specifically prevention.
The Ministry of the Interior as the governing body in this area, develops every year training plans and awareness raising campaigns directed at institutions of different government branches, civil society organizations, international organizations, and the public at large.
In 2025, it trained 4,457 people.
It carried out several activities, and among them, we have targeted prevention campaigns, citizen fairs, film forums, discussions, and other training and awareness raising opportunities aimed at preventing these crimes.
On the Protection of victims, the interinstitutional Coordination Committee for the Prevention of trafficking in persons and migrant smuggling and the Protection of victims has, as one of its technical mechanisms, what we call the case coordination Team.
This team, the case coordination team, led by the Ministry of the Interior, is made up of eight different state institutions, and it aims to provide immediate, timely, specialized assistance and emergency protection to victims of trafficking in persons.
Through this collegiate bodies, we have developed technical instruments and specialized regulations that establish procedures, institutional competence, assistance and protection options, as well as a tool set to identify victims and for initial response.
On investigation and punishment, I can say that Ecuador has progressively improved its investigative and prosecution capabilities in the area of trafficking in persons.
We have done this because now we have the National Investigation Unit Against Trafficking in Persons, which is a specialized unit of the national police.
And using special investigative techniques, they carry out profiling, identification, and victim rescuing activities, as well as actions aimed at dismantling the organized criminal structures that perpetuate this crime.
They also have active coordination with international police networks such as Ame Pol, Interpol, and Europol, among others, in order to improve the flow of information and to have a better transnational response for international cases.
Also, the Office of the Attorney General has had since 2023, an operational guide for the investigation of the crime of trafficking in persons for prosecutors and their supporting staff.
This document, this guide, is useful for improving criminal investigations and to have better results by having a more robust criminal justice.
Bearing in mind that most victims are women, girls, boys, and adolescents on the operation and use of the interactive map.
The interactive map is a visualization tool that displays information on crimes of trafficking in persons and migrant smuggling in Ecuador.
It is publicly available for anyone wishing to visit it.
It's available on the website of the Ministry of the Interior and their users can find dynamic and interactive statistical information.
Users can have access to tables, charts, graphs, displaying various victims of various variables for victims of both crimes, and they can then see developing trends of these crimes.
Also, the intuitive user friendly, interactive map makes it easy for anyone, including citizens, researchers, and decision makers to have access to this information.
I We turn now to internal displacement.
Internal displacement is something that has been on the rise in Ecuador due to causes such as natural disasters, flooding, landslides, volcanic activity, as well as man made causes, armed violence, extortion, drug trafficking, recruitment of miners, pollution, and other forms of social and environmental unrest.
These displacements, of course, have a direct impact on the protection, health care, access to housing, as well as the impossibility of finding work or access to services in Ecuador.
This has been on the rise in recent years, particularly because of the advance of drug trafficking and the crimes such as extortion, recruitment of children and adolescents by organized criminal groups.
Thus, The ombudsman's office has drafted a report to establish a baseline on the impact of violence and internal displacement in Ecuador 2022-2024.
As a result of the dissemination of that report, actions have been undertaken as part of an interinstitutional agreement with the Ministry of the Interior to coordinate the public response to victims.
Among the actions undertaken by the Ecuadorian state in this area, we are organizing a visit of the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of IDPs, and we do expect to define the dates of that visit in the very near future.
This upcoming visit is an opportunity for Ecuador to continue working on the creation and drafting of our national norms, public policies, and institutional strengthening to address the many needs of the internally displaced people, both Ecuadorians and migrants of other nationalities as well.
In addition to this important visit, the Ecuadorian government is providing services and reiterating its commitment to provide a comprehensive, coordinated response, ensuring the safety, dignity, and human rights of those affected by internal displacement.
On refuge and refugees, Ecuador guarantees all individuals the possibility of submitting an application for refugee status.
From the COVID 19 pandemic, since then, the Ecuadorian State has been processing international protection requests online.
This means this promotes effective access of people to their right to request international protection.
This practice has been ongoing to date.
So asylum seekers and those requesting official refugee status can submit their application without needing to go in person to the offices in the different zones representing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and human mobility.
It's also important to mention that Ecuador in order to facilitate submission of such applications, has these zone units where there are technical offices or units on international protection that are located in the following cities, Ibarra, Esmer Tlcan, Azores, Hua, and Quito across the country.
Turning to Article 76 and 77 of the Convention, Ecuador's position on Article 76 and 77 of the Convention has been one of recognizing the committee's competence to receive and review communications under a declaration presented on the 12th of January 2018.
We are aware that this this mechanism has not begun functioning yet within the committee because it requires ratification by ten states.
Our commitment remains relevant and in force, and we are standing ready to see this type of communication is activated within the committee.
Now, the platform was reactivated in December 2019.
It functions based on the drafting the implementation of an annual work plan, which includes reports by the states to be presented to United Nations treaty bodies by collecting information from the institutions through the aforementioned platform.
The goals of the platform are to establish a coordinated structure that would enable the reports to be drafted and the recommendations from the various human rights treaty bodies to be implemented.
It will also look to the training and capacity building of institutional focal points on human rights.
In fact, the fourth report presented to this committee was actually drafted through this platform in 2025.
Another important challenge or milestone in fact is that the focal points of the CDs platform have received ongoing training in theory and practice of international human rights law, the role of the state as guarantor of obligations, and the importance of the UN human rights mechanisms, and the key role of public officials in implementing and monitoring the recommendations.
Figures now on implementation of extraordinary processes of migrator regularization.
Since 2019, Ecuador has been implementing extraordinary migration regularization processes.
Through these, at least 150,000 visas have been issued, 57,502 humanitarian temporary visas and 95,833 temporary residence visas.
The last were done in three stages as well as 93,500 ID documents.
Moreover, we started the Verte two process in 2024, temporary residence process, which received 11,000 requests for visas.
As a prior step to that, the migration status registry registered 245,529 people as applicants of humanitarian visas, 199,000 given the temporary residence status, and 79,961 were given the Verte two status, the temporary residence visa.
This meant that access to documentation services and regularization has greatly been facilitated.
We should also indicate that these visas are free, and we do accept ID documents that have expired, for example, for Venezuelan citizens due to the situation in that country.
Let me turn now to the migratory and legal situation of nationals from third countries have been received by Ecuador as part of the agreements with the US.
Those transferred as part of the cooperation Agreement signed between the US and Ecuador are asylum seekers in the US who enter Ecuador to have an international protection request process.
Then from the admission of that application, they have a regular migratory status.
They are given an international protection application visa and they can opt for the assisted voluntary return program.
Migratory authority can impose temporary measures which guarantee their regular stay in the country while they return to their country of origin is coordinated.
What measures of welcome integration and assistance are provided to them, They are on arriving, they are guided and informed in a language that they can understand on the nature of the asylum process, the phases of the procedure, safeguards, rights and obligations.
They're also told about the possibility of voluntary return to their country of origin or relevant country of residence.
On those who have sought international protection and whose application is admitted, they're given an international protection request visa, and in so doing their migratory situation is regularized.
For those who choose this the option of a voluntary return, or should the asylum request not be admitted for processing, voluntary return is managed and assisted by competent international organizations in collaboration with the Ectorian state.
If the asylum request is admitted for processing or if the person chooses voluntary return, they're hosted in shelters, which are managed by international organizations through UNHCR and their partners, where they receive assistance, psychosocial support, guidance, food, accommodation, and advice on alternatives.
Moreover, UNHCI provides integration programs to private companies for those who've been recognized as refugees, transferred as part of the agreement concluded between the US and Ecuador.
The agreement between the governments solely covers transfer of Spanish speaking individuals from the Western Hemisphere.
This criteria was established to facilitate communication, access to services, and integration in Ecuador.
Consequently, the bilateral instrument makes no provision for the transfer of individuals who do not speak Spanish.
Let me now give the floor to my colleague.
Thank you, Deputy Minister distinguish committee members on behalf of Ecuadoran government I'd like to thank you for this opportunity to present additional information on the questions that were put to Ecuador yesterday.
Ecuador reiterates its firm commitment to comprehensive protection of human rights for migrants and their family members.
The actions that I will set out now reflect the normative efforts, the institutional efforts and public policy efforts that the state has been making to ensure equal treatment, non discrimination, effective access to rights, and social and economic inclusion of those on the move.
I will begin by taking you through the actions undertaken for children and adolescents in the education sphere.
The state, through the Ministry of Education, Sport and culture, in the framework of its competencies, has implemented special measures to prevent sexual violence in educational spheres through a strategic normative framework.
This will be divided into various areas that I will now focus on in turn.
Firstly, the public policy to eradicate sexual violence in education, This was issued following an executive decree number 368 from August 2024.
The policy is coordinated across four main areas prevention, care, access to justice, and comprehensive remedy, as well as generation of information.
It's implemented through the interinstitutional roundtable for the eradication of sexual violence.
In line with the operational plan for implementation and follow up 2024, 2030, adopted in November 2024.
Over the first few years of implementation, the collection of information has been prioritized, as well as the building of technical tools.
Its implementation is under various institutions, they're in charge of it and that shows how key Ecuador believes it is through the different institutions to coordinate this.
The aforementioned board is made up of the Ministry of Education, the Attorney General's Office, the Council of the Judiciary, the Ministry of Economic and Social Inclusion, the Ministry of Public Health, the National Court of Justice, the Ministry of Government, the National Council for Intergenerational Equality, the National Council for Gender Equality, and the National Institute on Statistics and the Census.
What are the results that we are hoping to achieve in this public policy? Well, we hope to raise the baseline to better understand the or general knowledge, attitudes, and level of understanding of official supervised services to victims, the knowledge of human rights and sex education, and we also hope to strengthen training procedures and capacity building for civil servants and officials.
We want to improve the curriculum and through a ministerial agreement, Min 202-40-0060 on the curriculum renewal as per competencies and skills.
Implementation of a comprehensive sex education in schools and educational institutions.
We also want to ensure that there is specialized care provided and focus provided for children and adolescents that are victims of sexual violence in schools and in educational institutions.
Other bodies are involved in line with their skills and technical know how that we believe it is relevant to include them as well.
The second focus is on implementation of the National plan to eradicate violence in schools and in the educational environment.
This plan was issued following a ministerial agreement number mine Duc slash 2025 slash 0004 slash A dated the 29th of January 2025.
Goal here is to promote prevention, protection, and restoration of rights of the student population against invasive violence and discrimination.
The results hopeful from this plan are the following to set up a technical and policy board as part of the National plan to eradicate violence in the educational sphere, to build cultural coexistence to prevent and address discrimination and racism in the national education system, the distribution of 3,000 copies of the guide on prevention of social risks for children aged 6-10, that should go to 715 educational institutions with the target population.
The third area of action is to implement the national plan on prevention of psychosocial risks in the national education system.
This is issued following the Min 202-03-0003 slash A and the aim is to set up protective environments to ensure the rights of students and to improve teaching processes, learning, which provides life skills and development skills.
This plan also seeks to prevent new psychosocial risks such as physical violence and psychological violence, as well as sexual violence, school bullying, adolescent pregnancy, and early fatherhood, the use and consumption of drugs, seven, self harm and suicide, eight child labor, nine, disappearances.
The results that we hope for from this plan are as follows, implementation of the investment plan to prevent and address psychosocial risks.
The scope hoped for is that it will reach over 30,000 students, 1,000 local authorities, and 1,000 or so teachers and professionals from student care who are then trained in prevention and addressing psychosocial risks in 2024 and 20 through 2026.
We're also hoping to see implementation of the capacity building support person.
The idea here is that they will strengthen teams and that they will promote and foster a learning environment in student advice departments and advisory departments.
Should reach over 1,000 staff members who have been trained from 2023 through 2025.
We're also hoping to set up student boards.
We have an initiative called We are the Student Council, and this is a national level organization with over 12,000 educational institutions part of it.
We also have student participation programs and the aim is to provide training for teenagers as community drivers, civic action training, action for the environment, prevention of teenage pregnancy, encouragement for literacy, health and well being.
This should reach over 580,000 students.
From first and second levels of studies, teenagers age from 15 onwards.
The idea is to ensure also we wish to focus on Internet risks and to raise awareness, implementing educational lines to also through games, to help promote Internet safety awareness.
We are looking at training over 19,000 educational professionals and those involved in student counseling services across the national educational system.
This in 2025 alone I train myself platform on promotion of rights, on prevention of violence, peaceful school life, comprehensive sex education, mental health, and psychosocial support.
We are also hoping to issue protocols and guidance for action for education institutions of violence identified in the education system, also for digital violence detected in the national school system.
These instruments have specific action plans to be implemented should sexual violence instances be identified, and this is in place across the whole country on prevention of adolescent pregnancy, We have issued an interceptoral policy to address adolescent pregnancy.
I 2018-2025, we implemented this policy, and as part of this, we have also sought to implement an intersexual policy for adolescent pregnancy from 2025 through to 2035.
Now, this was This is headed up by a particular government department and the results that we're hoping for are to implement the national Comprehensive Sex Education strategy in 1,854 schools across the country.
With 63 intersextual boards in the different territories led by the different local authorities, where we will implement and monitor this public policy in the different local areas.
As we seek to develop these strategies, we will have an intersexual communication policy in line with the Andy Week to combat adolescent pregnancy, to promote sexual reproductive rights, to prevent violence, and to transform negative socio cultural patterns.
This is done in coordination with the Ministry of Public Health, the Ministry of Government, and the Ministry of Human Development.
These actions have reached very many viewers on social networks.
Over 108,000 officials as civil servants and teachers through internal communication channels as well.
There's also work done with families through our family education program.
In 2025 and 2026, we have implemented sex education, emotional educational modules.
I 74 schools, we've reached 1,950 teachers and very many families as well as part of this.
As part of the Student participation program, we are working with pregnant students on prevention of early pregnancy, promoting prenatal care in coordination with the Ministry of Public Health.
The scope here is that 863 pregnant students across the country in 2024, 2025 received this training, if you will, and we have produced educational resources on comprehensive sex education, some in sign language as well.
And there have been comics produced and other educational material that is accessible to students.
On the National Strategy for Comprehensive Sex Education, which was promoted through the Minidu Agreement 202-30-0065 A from the 23rd of October 2023.
This instrument is compulsory to be implemented by all educational institutions in the country.
The goal is to provide the necessary information when it comes to sex education inclusion in the curriculum, and the development of teaching projects that incorporate this.
The strategy is made up of five different resource modules and the results are that 2,498 educational institutions in the national education system are now implementing this program, this through to March 2026.
39,000 professionals have been trained as part of this course.
They're recognized as sex educators since 2021.
There are nine national networks that are made up of 343 749 students who are benefiting from the implementation of these instruments and the methodology therein.
There have been 159 virtual workshops on sex education to capacity build the educational staff across the country.
On children and adolescents who are affected by migration, who are children of those who've been deported or returned, the National Educational System provides comprehensive care to these children and adolescents who are in a vulnerable situation.
It includes, first of all, so emotional support.
The goal here is to promote the development of socioemotional skills and tools in the student population and among teaching staff through the use of tools promoting recognition, expression, and emotion management in a healthy way.
Those who are in charge of this support are teachers involved in the development of a curricular activity and in their after school care support.
12,327 schools and educational institutions provide this emotional support.
There have been over 12,000 socio emotional support guides issued to over 11,000 schools benefiting 3.4 million students.
Secondly, on psychosocial support, we have a psychosocial support plan.
The student council professionals are involved in this and it includes developing actions to promote rights, to prevent social problems forming, promotion of peaceful and harmonious coexistence, socioeconomic inclusion in the community of the student population, particularly those who are in vulnerable situations, it's with the four areas of action, advice, promotion, prevention, psychosocial support and care and socio educational inclusion.
The scope is to ensure psychosocial support of students.
Since November 2024, the central government through May 2026, has hired 3,995 professionals, benefiting around 1.7 million students in schools, increasing coverage 29-70% of the country, reducing the gap in student advisory professionals, significantly.
In terms of academic leveling, this is important to guarantee the right to inclusive, equitable quality education for children and adolescents in vulnerable situations.
The idea here is to identify and reduce learning gaps to address specific educational needs and to promote children staying in school, participation of students in the educational system through pedagogical strategies that are differentiated in line with the different needs identified, ensuring equal opportunities and respect for the principles of inclusion, non discrimination, and priority care that are established in educational legislation.
On measures that the state has adopted to prevent and combat violence against migrant women, The state of Ecuador has bolstered its normative framework and institutional framework gradually to prevent, address, and punish and eradicate all forms of violence against migrant women.
These actions are upheld by the Constitution of Ecuador, the comprehensive law to prevent and eradicate violence against women.
The Organic Law on human mobility, and the relevant labor regulations in force on equality and non discrimination.
Under this legal framework, the state therefore guarantees prevention measures as well as care protection, comprehensive remedy measures and access to justice for migrant women regardless of their migratory status.
Similarly, pre legal assistance is guaranteed as are immediate protection mechanisms, the recording of the migratory status and victims when relevant, and consider protection services for Ecuadorian women on the move abroad.
Regarding economic and social integration of migrant women during the Quito process in 2025, Ecuador has been promoting a regional socioeconomic development strategy that is focused around mobility, international protection, regularization, social protection, family inclusion, a decent work and social cohesion.
Currently, this strategy is being incorporated in a cross cutting way.
It's being mainstreamed into the National Agenda for Human Mobility 2026, 2029.
Similarly, 2025-2028, the project opportunities was being implemented, financed by German collaboration through the German Development Bank aimed at improving integration opportunities for migrants, returnees, and host communities with particular focus and attention on women and young people.
The project looks at restoring safe public spaces, the promotion of job opportunities and entrepreneurship, as well as bolstering community coexistence.
Also, with the support of UNACRk, we have the project for legal support, community participation, and socioeconomic inclusion for displaced person and welcoming communities and host communities, which will lead to having sustainable instruments for local integration, the prevention of violence, and institutional strengthening.
Regarding the measures that have been adopted in order to combat labor discrimination and to improve access to the Social Security of women migrants, the state has implemented measures to narrow the wage gap between men and women.
There are also actions aimed at implementing the organic law for wage equality between men and women, which was published in the official Gazette, 481, dated January 19th, 2024.
It seeks to guarantee equal pay or any other economic compensation between men and women performing the same job or jobs of equal worth.
By ministerial decree MDT 2025-006, dated January 8th, 2025, the Ministry of Labor provided some guidelines for private sector employers and the highest authorities of public businesses and institutions working in coordination with their human resources agencies to have training events in order to improve skills and knowledge on men and women's labor rights, gender equality, the eradication of violence and discrimination businesses or work environments, as well as other topics related to equal pay for equal work.
In the specific regulation that was created in order to improve parity and to protect migrant workers, we have Ministerial Agreement MDT 2018 006 protecting the labor rights of migrant workers.
Among its main provisions, we have one on the obligation of the employer to register migrant workers and foreign workers.
Obligation to register the work contract on the online platform of the Ministry of Labor.
It authorizes the Ministry of Labor through the inspectors to carry out audits and random inspections.
It provides sanctions for paying less than the unified minimum wage to foreign migrant workers.
We're now going to have a break.
I thank His Excellency, Mr.
Pakku and expert delegate for substantive detailed presentation in terms of responses and also in our constructive dialogue.
Now I give the floor to the two rapporturs to follow up on the dialogue, and I wonder who will take the floor first? Is it Mirif? Musar Mr.
Edgar Akzo will take the floor.
What Thank you very much, Chair.
I will pick up on the questions, following up on what I had said already.
I appreciate already the information that the head of delegation or the Vice Minister has shared with us.
Any and all information is good, is useful, and that's what we want to have information, but specifically on the topics that we have asked about.
So let's see on xenophobia and discrimination.
For the committee, as I'm sure you understand, this is an important topic.
In December of last year, the committee against racial discrimination, as well as this committee adopted a joint general comment on this topic, and that was in December.
Overall, I could say that we had two observations.
The first one was conceptual in nature, where we spoke about intersectionality as an important criteria for nondiscrimination.
And we also spoke about the elements that a comprehensive policy against racism and discrimination should have.
And then the second general comment referred or the general observation referred to narratives.
So that's a great concern to us because Xenophobia and discrimination affects human rights and that starts oftentimes by the narratives that are not just in the minds of people, but also in the minds of civil servants.
So it is related to this topic of such importance to us that I can say that we received information saying that in recent years in Ecuador, there has been an increase in discrimination and xenophobia against people on the move motivated by discrimination and violence against them.
Among the incidents that we learned about, we have physical violence, expulsion of migrants from the host communities, prohibition of contracting foreigners.
Kicking people out of their homes and what has been called indcentjice.
This is accompanied by narrative stigmatizing speech by social leaders and by authorities, which feeds into the feeling of xenophobia.
According to the information we received, it's targeted to Venezuelans by and large.
This relationship of migration with organized crime is even seen in social networks.
Because on social networks, we have seen narratives, speech, that hurts human rights.
We heard, for example, in a recent operation, that this type of xenophobic and discriminatory language was used.
Also, in electoral campaigns such as the one in 2025, this matter came to social networks as well.
It's not just something that happens on a person to person scale, it happens at the social media scale, which means that it has an even greater impact.
In a survey, 42.3% of the Venezuelan migrant population in Ecuador indicated that they have been subjected to some incident of discrimination, some type of discrimination.
And the form of employment that they may have access to actually does not uniformly lead to a reduction in discrimination.
And from the information we have had, there appear to be several cases where Discrimination in xenophobia is even more patently clear.
Take, for example, an event of December 2023, which took place in Paleo Turqua, the alleged involvement of a Venezuelan in the murder of a local police officer.
There was a protest back then asking for Venezuelan migrants to be kicked out, and the local mayor suggested updating the housing rules, asking for migrant renters to be regular migrants and to present a criminal record.
In Salcedo, in the province of Cotopaxi, in January 2025, members of the community struck and publicly displayed a Venezuelan migrant which was accused of participating in a fight and murdering a man, after which there were protests calling for Venezuelan migrants to be returned, prohibiting asking them to be banned from local jobs as well.
In Guayaqil in February 2025, a Venezuelan national was allegedly struck and murdered by municipal police.
Apparently, while he was working as a street seller.
And in electoral campaigns of 2025, they said that this should be taken into account as well.
Given this general picture, which we have which we can outline with these cases.
I'm sure there are more like them.
I would like to know if there's anything being done in this regard.
I looked into it.
I wanted to see if there was any law specifically against discrimination, and I didn't find one.
What I did find was a law from last year on discrimination on the grounds of age in labor, but not discrimination in general.
I think that it would be interesting to see if there is a document that takes this into account, perhaps some guidelines to avoid xenophobia and discrimination.
And if we look closer, not just the Venezuelans but Venezuelan women, we see an even more alarming situation.
Witness accounts speak of systematic discrimination, violence, structural obstacles to migration regularization procedures, access to basic services, and institutional protection.
In witness accounts, apparently, there is aggravated vulnerability.
For example, going to the Venezuelan embassy, it says here, in order to obtain documents, means that they have to go to Venezuela.
Without documents, people at work are abused.
They are paid whatever they want.
They are sexually harassed.
They are made to work extra hours.
When a woman goes to a kid without a husband for any transaction, she is treated poorly, a Venezuelan woman was robbed.
But when they stopped the thieves, They didn't let her speak against them because she didn't have documents, and so they just released the thieves.
They were aggressed on the streets.
That's why many end up in prostitution.
Instead of being explained, they are insulted.
They hurl insulted them and tell them to go back home.
A Venezuelan woman was made to work twice as much as others and after two months since she didn't have documents, she was not paid.
The son of a Venezuelan was denied school for a lack of documents.
Some women who need to go to a health center don't go because the doctor insults them, the nurse fondles them, and they say, Well, I better not go.
In a health center, if you don't have documents, they will just let you die.
In the hospital, it's the guard who asks what nationality you have and what's your ailment.
That's where the discrimination starts.
You can see that this is a problem.
It's a matter of concern, and we see several structural barriers which relate to recognizing migrants first and foremost as people, not as migrants.
And this has an impact on mental health.
That's an important subject for us, impact on mental health of migrant workers and members of their families, including documented psychosocial risk, cases of anxiety, depression, despair, risky behavior, especially in children and adolescents, which shows the need for a comprehensive state response with a psychosocial approach.
We can see then here we have crossroads of discrimination, barriers, lack of effective integration, and impact on mental health.
I should say that in the previous concluding observations that this committee had for Ecuador in 2017, we mentioned a concern, and that's that there still is a predominant negative image of foreigners.
Back then, it was Colombians, Peruvians, Colombians, as well as those coming from various other countries.
Back then, the committee was concerned specifically over the extended xenophobia against this population and recommended the state party to adopt all necessary measures, including legislative reforms in order to ensure all migrant workers and members of their families within their territory that they could enjoy without discrimination the rights recognized by the convention.
And from what we know, because you have already provided a great amount of information about this on return, I have information saying that in April 2006, at least six Ecuadorian citizens were deported by the United States to the Democratic Republic of Congo as part of an agreement between Washington and Quinssa.
They arrived there without any kind of linguistic or cultural ties to their country.
Under Congolese custody.
I imagine that they're part of some agreement.
You already provided some explanation about the agreements with the US.
Perhaps you have agreement with other countries as well.
But still, on those that have returned, I would like to point out that in addition to this case, family reunification, it seems that from the information we obtained the main reason is family reunification.
In the State report, Paragraph 103 to 110, you say that between January 2024 to July 2025, there were a total of 1,383 people recognized as refugees.
Through the right to family reunification.
However, and this is where we have our doubt, the requirement for coming in the basic basket for family ties on family tie grounds from 2025 is an obstacle to family reunification, especially for irregular families.
So once again, in our concluding observations from the last review, we spoke about this and we had a recommendation.
We asked them to strengthen efforts for long lasting integration and economic, social, cultural fabric of Ecuador based on the rights recognized in the Convention, not just the return and immediate care.
We also spoke about long lasting integration, and I haven't heard anything about that.
We would like to know what actions you have taken, not to give them the $40 that you told us you would give them when they arrived, which is very short term immediate.
But we're talking about social integration.
What are you doing? How much are you doing? Because this is also an important component.
Domestic workers, remunerated domestic workers.
According to some figures we found between March 2026, the sector has 181,420 people employed nationwide.
93.3% of them are women.
Out of all women working in domestic work, a total of 11,197 are migrant women international migrants.
Regions they come from are Venezuela, Colombia, and then other countries.
However, we note from the information we've received that only regular migrant workers are protected by the state.
If the ministry sees there is non compliance, then the employer can have 15 basic wages as a fine and a regular worker who wishes to ask for their rights to be respected has to go directly to a labor judge.
We recognize that the government of Ecuador has ratified what ILO Agreement 189 on domestic labor.
That's a step in the right direction, but we want to have more information to see how far you have gone in protecting these rights.
We also want to know in the organic law reforming the Labor Code to have a unified house care work, which was from August 2025.
So it is current.
It is in force.
It seems though that it has not been enforced.
But has it? Please provide information about this law because we would like to know how it has been implemented.
I also wanted to know if the government has any program aimed at improving the fulfillment of the human rights of domestic workers.
If you can tell us what you've done in this regard, that would be much appreciated.
Also on international treaties and the Constitution.
Yesterday, we were told, and I think this is all well and good.
I think it's one of the countries whose constitution speaks about the relationship that must exist between a national document and international human rights treaties, speaking about the supremacy of the latter.
And I think this was mentioned yesterday also, how the Constitutional Court has resorted to international human rights instruments in deciding on national cases.
And this is great.
Thank you very much for providing this information.
We don't always have proof of how the national courts are using the international standards that we have in human rights.
But yesterday you told us about cases of obstetric violence.
We can understand that.
I'm sure it was from CETA, the integrity of people deprived of liberty, identity, nationality, the health of the children of migrant workers, due process when revoking nationality, birth registration of migrant children and adolescents, estates obligations on transit, non refoment.
I think you gave us eight cases, and that's really quite a.
They're all very good and good to bear in mind as well.
So it seems to me then that the work of the constitutional court, the highest national court, is quite good.
So the Constitutional Court, as the protector of human rights, should be independent and continue to enforce international human rights standards.
Now, the only question I have in this area is, though in these cases, you mentioned international instruments.
We would like to know if the Constitutional Court has endorsed the concluding observations of the committee Because Article 4 24 of the Constitution of Ecuador places international treaties in direct application and higher in the hierarchy.
So you simply mention the international instrument, or in addition to mentioning the International instrument, you say that the Act violating human rights is not just non constitutional but also non conventional.
Does the court recognize this? There's few issues here.
Efforts have been made.
We appreciate that, but there still is no centralized desegregated data on migration.
The registries are scattered between the Ministry of the Interior, the Foreign Affairs Office, and they don't enable us to know the number of irregular migrant workers, the different profiles of those that have been deported, or how many children are involved in human mobility.
We spoke about this gap already.
It was mentioned also in Ecuador's concluding observations of 2017, and it would seem, according to more recent information, that this gap still exists.
Paragraph 20 of the state report, it has said that Ecuador is implementing the National integrated National Information System on human mobility, and that you already have the final version of the system.
What we want to know about here is what progress has been made? When do you think that this system will be up and running? Can you tell us more about the system for migration? Because then you could use this to create new public policies.
I also wanted to say something about the platform called yes.
In the document that the state submitted to the committee, you speak about and you said this today, what the purposes of this platform are.
And you say that it has a section devoted to following up on the recommendations that Ecuador has received from international bodies from the Universal and Inter American Human Rights System, and that as of 2023, this section is being updated.
So that's from 2023.
It's a good platform.
Yes, right, CHS is a good platform.
But you tell us yourselves in this document that since 2023 is being updated.
Has it been updated? Is it operational? Other countries have also made efforts.
Bolivia, if I'm recalling correctly, has a system called Sim.
Perhaps you could look into theirs.
This is a good practice.
You could see how they are operating it.
In the common document presented by the State, paragraph 162, and pursuant to one of the voluntary commitments taken on by the states after the 2022 UPR, the government of Ecuador is working on institutionalizing the national mechanism for implementing and following up on human rights recommendations.
I imagine that that is the part of Cos yes rights that hasn't been implemented or that was being implemented in 2023.
So I think if it was being updated in 2023, then perhaps by 2024, that was done.
And if that's so, then it should be already operational.
So I want to know, is this the case or not? In the 2017 concluding observations to Ecuador, we also spoke about how important it was to have good data management, and we provided the relevant recommendation.
And so that's really the question that I have here about that section, we want to know about following up on recommendations.
Now, on raising awareness about the convention, it would seem that there is no official source of information for the convention.
Yes, there is with the cases of courts.
We saw this with the eight cases you mentioned earlier.
But I'm thinking about official training on the convention, and we have no data of any nationwide activities.
Most of these initiatives come from the UNHCR, the International Organization of Migration, and Civil Society agencies, but there is still no fully institutionalized teaching and awareness raising about the convention.
We reiterated this in the 2007 recommendations where we ask that you strengthen broaden the training programs to include the content of the convention.
Could you then tell us what training activities, awareness raising activities there happened, if any, on the convention? Now on Article 76 and 2077, which were referred to this morning as well.
Here it would happen that according to the 2017 Cobbs, the state set back in 2017 that there was an initiative aimed at assessing the likelihood of having these declarations of Article 76 and 77 of the convention pursuant to the recommendations made by this committee.
So basically, the question was, was this initiative seen through? Was there an analysis and then a conclusion? Article 76 is between states and 77, as I said yesterday, is rather the individualized communication mechanism.
It's between an individual and the treaty body that they address.
Then the closure of border crossings.
Talked about this also.
Um Well, in this regard, I want to say that this makes cross border work even more precarious, but it also jeopardizes industries that have hinged on having a dynamic open border.
So I would like to know what are the efforts that have been made.
So that this border closure is opened up again because the activities in these border areas are very important and opening the borders would restore that.
In the replies provided yesterday and today, I didn't hear anything about what our colleague Maria asked and I endorse this comment about the National Human Rights Institution.
The ombudsman's Office in Ecuador.
Mr.
Maria was speaking about what was a reading under the Paris principles.
Because then depending on that, we could assess the ombudsman's office efforts in a particular country and how they perform.
There are significant challenges for this ombudsman's office.
Do they have a specialized mechanism for the promotion and protection of migrant workers? They have four representatives in the Capitol, which means that perhaps there is no proper nationwide coverage.
That would mean maybe that they don't have the necessary human resources, so they would be hard pressed to carry out their monitoring work in the area of migration human rights.
Also, budgetary matters, they don't have a good budget, which is perhaps why they haven't grown in size much.
There's also weak leadership.
The leaders of this institution changes all the time with changes to administration and with budgetary limitations, which means that it's operational capability is quite weak.
So what is your view of the ombudsman's office as a national human rights institution, We could even say that they are related institution to these committees, and what are you doing in your country to ensure that it is operational and what do they need to be even stronger? Unforced disappearance.
This morning, we also spoke about this.
The Vice Minister mentioned it.
I just wanted to say that we received information about one case, the case Johar Ramirez, a case in which we saw The extreme vulnerability of migrants in emergency situations.
December 7th, 2024, this Venezuelan citizen was arrested and tortured, according to this information, by military officers in the province of Boliva, brought down from a vehicle before reaching a destination, shots were fired, and since then, the person is disappeared.
According to the information we received, it has indicated that five military officers have been tried.
We want to know What became of this? The situation that apparently is forcefully disappeared.
What has become of them? On trafficking, there's also some reference to that earlier, but what structural challenges do you see in prevention, detection, investigation, and punishment of human trafficking? The work of inspection is extremely important when it comes to getting results around trafficking.
What have you done in this area? If we're talking about trafficking for labor purposes, then labor inspection is, of course, much more important.
According to information that we have received, the State of Ecuador has recorded a total of 18 convictions for the crime of human trafficking.
This once again is important.
There is a court determining that there have been violations, convictions for human trafficking, that is then indicative of very many things that have been analyzed upstream.
There are also these rulings were issued in 2023.
But apart from compensation, what other measures have been provided to victims in these cases? In paragraph 139 of the report, it says that there were measures to assist victims across the whole country in their physical, psychological and social recovery, but there's nothing to state what exactly they were.
Why? Not go into them in more detail.
These are very important measures.
They are relevant standards going forward to try and remedy the situation of survivors of victims of human trafficking.
Apart from sexual exploitation, what are the purposes or grounds for trafficking were the rulings based on? You said that there are these sentences, but you didn't say what type of exploitation they dealt with.
We are we talking about for purposes of sexual exploitation and others.
You say that you took measures in 2021 through 2025 to collect data in a disaggregated way on trafficking victims.
But once again, you don't tell us what they were.
This is paragraph 145 of the State Party report.
Once again, Another issue that we've seen and that we've already asked about, if you're aware of when the victims are tricked because of social networks, because they're victims of fraud, people are sucked in because of promises of jobs, protection online and on social networks.
Do you have any information about this and about the nationalities of the victims of these crimes that would be important for us to hear about that? On Internal force displacement.
You did refer to that a little bit and we do have information to the effect that once again, it's violence from armed groups which has brought about internal force displacement in Ecuador.
Do you have information about cases of victims who having been internally displaced were then forced to leave the country completely? I would ask whether you've any recognition on the part of the state of internal displacement.
Because once there is a recognition of status of internally displaced, then there is a regulation that should come into place, a protective framework for victims who are victims who are IDPs.
How far does it go any protection that you might offer, the normative framework, the protective framework for persons who are internally displaced in Ecuador, how far does that go in terms of coverage on birth registration? On birth registration in 2024, the organic law on a civil data was amended.
So when it is a foreign mother who has no ID or travel document, the child will be given a statistical certificate of born alive or through the certification of two witnesses if it's a birth without medical assistance as Article 35.
However, we've received information to the fact that it's very difficult for migrants because they're in an irregular migratory situation, they can't register their children who were born in Ecuador because they don't have documentation.
Of course, this then affects many of the children's rights such as the right to an identity, name, and nationality, but also the parents and the mothers Of course, in terms of many of their rights because through this, they could get residency.
I'd like to know your opinion on that.
If you have any more information, you could share with us on that subject.
On refugees and asylum, you gave us some explanations and you stressed the organic law on human mobility.
And the cases where that is implemented.
However, international refugee law establishes reasons for non application and cessation under international law.
The reforms that were done to the Organic Law on human mobility, do they not exceed the limitations stipulated in the 1951 Convention.
Governing the relationship between the Constitution and International Human Rights treaties.
Your organic law on human vulnerability, doesn't it go further than the Convention on refugees from 1951? Because it would seem that there is hierarchy, a superior hierarchy.
On consular assistance, you told us that there is some flexibility.
I won't go over that again, but we do want to know whether the Ecuadorian state is considering the situation of vulnerability in which migrant workers of different nationalities find themselves.
You say that you accept documents that have expired, and I think that is proof of flexibility, and it's worthwhile taking that into consideration.
This has happened in embassies as well.
We see that people deprived of their liberty also suffer as a result of this.
This flexibility of accepting an ID document that has expired, is there any other flexibility that you have on unlawful trafficking, implementation of the action plan to combat unlawful trafficking in migrants 2024, 2030.
My question is, what have you done regarding that situation? What impact has this plan actually had? It began in 2024.
It's going to run through to 2030.
Or does it have limited capacity when it comes to investigating complex networks such as unlawful trafficking in people? This is a major issue, the risk of corruption, the need to strengthen binational regional cooperation in border areas in particular.
We have seen in our experience that many countries unlawful trafficking, it's very complex.
The networks are very tangled, but it is worth making efforts to try and root them out.
You have a national action plan against unlawful trafficking of migrants, which I think is significant.
On participation of civil society, We usually request that in the report presented by the state party, you involve civil society to include viewpoints from civil society on what the state sets out.
My question here is whether there has been any participation from civil society organizations in drafting the State party's report.
Moreover, A question on participation of civil society.
How substantive is their participation in migratory policy? There is a consultative Council and Advisory Council of one mechanism with representatives of civil society, but they were selected in 2016, 2017, and they haven't been renewed or updated since 2016, 2017, civil society participants involved in that mechanism.
If there's been no update, then we would ask what links you now have with civil society organizations that are active and working in the area of humanity and migration.
Are you expecting to change it soon or within 15 years or when is that likely to be? It's important for us to get that information so we can understand how effective that mechanism is in terms of this consultative council.
On violence against women, migrants, and femicides, The Council of the Judiciary has a platform and we gathered on general data of 160 foreign women victims of femicide or violent deaths since 2014 through to March 2026.
It was seen that we don't know if there's a sub register with all the different elements that we have been talking about.
Does the state have an institution to address the particular instance of femicide? In the information that we have, we have this data of 160 women victims of femicide.
How are you dealing with the situation? It will be very interesting for us to hear from you on that because of the precedent, the efforts.
Maybe you have something that could be rolled out or copied in other countries.
Lastly, two further questions, one on climate change.
Completely changing subject.
Climate change.
We know that migration and displacement is closely linked to climate change.
It's not a future risk.
It's a current reality in Ecuador Is climate change having an impact on migrants? Are there? Do you have climate refugees or not? How is Ecuador experiencing that? Along similar lines, in the last global report on migration from 2026 issued and published by the IOM in May, just beginning last month, it says there are 400.6 million IDPs as a result of storms, floods, droughts, forest fires.
Highlighting the magnitude of climate mobility refugees as a result of climate change.
It is a reality Asian countries are maybe seeing it more, but on our continent too, there is having an impact.
Do you have any information on this? Now see Disability among migrants in 2024, at least, there's a statistic, 62 million migrants and displaced persons with significant disabilities.
This puts on the table disability inclusion as a fundamental aspect.
I'd like to ask whether you have any background, any information about people on the move, migrants who are suffering from disability, not so much because they were disabled because of disability before they became migrants, but they may have become disabled during their migration or even in the country of destination.
But this is something that is worth bearing in mind.
I do apologize for having spoken at such great length, but I think that'll be my last opportunity to do so.
Thank you very much for your attention and thank you very much for the information you're about to provide.
Thank you, Chair.
Thank you, Edgar.
Mr.
Sharif, you want to take the floor? I'll be very brief because he's pretty much said everything.
I took a bit longer yesterday, but I just wanted to thank the delegation of Ecd for this fruitful frank dialogue as the chair said yesterday.
That's exactly what we want.
We want to share ideas and views and I won't make any secret of the fact that I enthusiastically greeted your strategy yesterday, your commitment, your actions for human rights defense in general and for migrants in particular.
Over the evening, we are thinking about it as a result of our conversation yesterday, so it's very interesting that we had an awful lot, a lot of figures, a lot of information, varied information.
I do believe I didn't retain everything, and in fact, I don't think I got responses to all of my questions.
Of course not.
And that's why we have the second round, which has given me a number of answers and it's not yet over.
There are still areas that aren't entirely clear for me.
I would have some very specific questions which In addition to what my colleague has just talked about, I noted with satisfaction that an awful lot has been done or will be done in the future.
But unfortunately, I think that an awful lot remains to be done.
We learned a great deal about your plans, projects for the future, but very little, as far as I'm aware, as far as I retained, about the means and resources that you're using to put them in place.
You didn't say an awful lot you're going to put them in place, or the place and role of civil society, which he's just mentioned and I would re mention, the role of partners, particularly civil society.
You haven't at all talked about civil society.
They're a vital partner to support you in implementing these projects, which are very ambitious and I do commend you on your ambition and this will to do things.
I raised various issues and I won't go back over them, particularly criminalization of human rights.
Defenders, if you could say a little bit about that, stigmatization of migrants, you Most of you answered my questions on that, so thank you for that.
The difficulties in working with civil society, how they get their resources, I talked about international cooperation, which is less present, less available.
The lady who spoke earlier also talked about the cooperation with Germany and she gave a lot of figures on that.
Do you have any other ways of supporting civil society which is experiencing difficult times? You talked about conditions of migrant families and you talked a lot about the organic law.
But how effective is this law in reality? Could you give us some specific examples that my colleague requested? We have a number of questions that have been asked that I would like to really understand the proper effect, the genuine effectiveness of this law.
Now, there's also the pioneering role played by Ecuadorian women in training in what would later become flourishing Ecuadorian communities in Spain and elsewhere.
They have sometimes sacrificed everything and their family lives, they're living far away.
I asked for clarification about the multiple effects and the problems that we that people are experiencing.
You asked about Ecuadorians, but you didn't talk about non Ecuadorians that you have received.
I said that they didn't even speak Spanish.
Some of them speak English.
I also asked for information about public policies to promote and channel and transfers.
You talked about 20% tax.
I didn't have any response on that.
I also talked about human rights defenders.
That was also touched upon by my colleague as well, the budgets, the means, the resources, the a number of things that better understand on climate change, I was going to address that, but he's already asked it, but I just wanted to add into what my colleague has said.
One of the major problems when it comes to climate change is the status of what we call climate refugees.
What I know you're very dynamic at the international level.
What is your position to fight, to support, for there to be a status of climate refugee potentially at some point? I didn't understand, Deputy Minister, in your statement this afternoon, you were talking about juvenile police, if I noted it down properly.
Juvenile, P for minors, that exist is that exactly you talked about return of children? And you said they're received by the juvenile police or the police for minors.
I would imagine that they would be hosted received at the airport by Social Security, but it's the police department.
I didn't really understand that.
If you can clarify that for me, that would be good.
I'll leave it there because I very much like to hear your answers.
Thank you.
Thank you, Sheriff, Excellency.
You can take a break for ten, 15 minutes and come back 15 minutes break and come back for presentation.
Also, you have rules of procedure, you have the option within 24 hours, you can send responses in writing.
You have two options of responding to the best of your abilities to respond.
One is that we'll take a break for 15 minutes and we'll see you back.
Yes, you can do both.
You can send it in writing as well.
Okay.
So we'll have a small break.
15 minutes.
Five, five, we will meet.
I We resume our constructive dialogue with Republic of delegation of the Republic of Edo, and I have the honor to give the floor to His Excellency Pakuku head of the delegation for the purpose of continuing dialogue.
And you can delegate, yes, yes.
Resuming our presentation, we will now speak about the National Human Rights Institution, the Ombudsman's Office of Ecuador is the National Human Rights Institution.
It is an institution with constitutional standing created as a result of the constitutional reforms of the Republic of 1996, ratified by the political Constitution of 1998, and in the current Constitution approved in 2008, Articles 214 and 215.
It is mandated to promote and protect the rights of humans and nature, to promote jurisdictional guarantees and constitutional actions, to publish alerts, reports, recommendations, rulings, and compulsory measures to investigate and prevent violation of rights, to follow up on the implementation of rulings, to roll out human right educational programs, to activate international mechanisms for protection, to prevent torture and other cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment or punishment, as well as to promote and guarantee transparency and access to public information.
It should be said that the highest authority of this institution benefits from immunity.
This is in keeping with Article 211 of the Constitution.
According to Article 10 of the Organic law of the ombudsman's office, they will not be criminally or held liable on a civil court or criminal court for their opinions or for activities they carry out discharging their professional responsibilities.
Only the National Assembly can bring a political trial against them according to the Constitution.
The activities are therefore fully independent.
Regarding the financial means afforded to them, they have a state budget based on the institutional budget drafted by the institution itself, by the ombudsman's office itself, according to the provisions of the organic law for public financing and public planning.
The institution has strategic institutional plans and budgetary plans for how they are going to carry out their activities under their mission.
The constitutional mandate gives them financial and administrative autonomy.
Acting to protect the rights of people in human mobility, the ombudsman's Office has a National Office of Mechanisms for the promotion and Protection of people in situation of human mobility.
They are entrusted to manage mechanisms for the promotion and protection of people on the move.
I should say that among the competencies that they have to address an alleged violation of rights, they can start unofficial examinations.
They can have legal guarantees.
They also have an authority to propose regulations or reforms on rights protection regarding raising awareness about the convention and capacity building, the state of Ecuador has ongoing awareness raising activities and training activities on the rights of migrant workers and the content of the convention.
2023-2025, thousands of people on the move participated in employability courses, entrepreneurship courses, and labor inclusion courses.
At the same time, civil servants, educational professionals, and institutional staff were trained on the prevention of discrimination, xenophobia, and smuggling of migrants, human trafficking, the protection of victims, and access to rights.
All of these actions show the state's commitment to build an institutional culture based on human rights, inclusion, and nondiscrimination.
Regarding some ideas that the Vice Minister mentioned yesterday in the work brought up this afternoon, as regards discrimination and xenophobia, it's important to remember that Ecuadorian regulations provide for the prohibition of discrimination on various grounds, among them nationality.
Article 112.
Which says that all people are equal and shall benefit from the same rights, duties, and opportunities.
No one can be discriminated against on the grounds of ethnicity, place of birth, gender, age, sex, cultural identity, civil status, language, religion, ideology, political affiliation, criminal past, socioeconomic condition, migration condition.
Sexual orientation, state of health, being HIV positive, physical difference, or any other personal or collective, temporal or long lasting characteristic that would undermine or cancel the recognition and enjoyment of their rights.
The law shall punish any type of discrimination, This constitutional mandate has constitutional punitive force through our constitution.
Here, the states attacks discrimination and hate speech where it sees them as crimes from Article 176 and 177 with penalties 1-3 years of prison.
Up to five year sentence when the crime is carried out by a civil servant for up to 26 years if a hate crime leads to death, which shows the zero tolerance policy of the state, we these behaviors.
This is seen in particular in the sectorial legislation through the Organic Law on human mobility.
In Article 2, this law speaks of the principle of equality before the law and non discrimination, and it sees it as the main thrust for the country's migration policy, ensuring that all people involved in human mobility on Ecuadorian territory benefit from the same rights and opportunities as nationals.
By virtue of this legal instrument, the state of Ecuador not only prohibits unlawful distinctions in public institutions, be they local or national, the state is committed to eliminating discrimination in its policies.
So the delegation of Ecuador points out that the country has a consistent, coherent, cross cutting political system designed to protect the dignity of people involved in human mobility in our country.
The main takeaway is that our Constitution, which hierarchally speaking, is the highest document, all documents being published must be in line with the Constitution and cannot violate people's rights.
In the area of prevention of crime and the protection of vulnerable populations, the Attorney General's Office of the Republic of Ecuador has the broadened investigative guidelines for crimes of discrimination and hate crimes.
This instrument improves criminal investigation of behavior of discrimination, xenophobia, and violence against vulnerable people or groups, including migrant workers and members of their families.
This document was published in 2021.
These guidelines include standards from the Universal, the UN system and the Inter American Human Rights System.
They promote specialized investigations with a human rights based approach.
They identify indicators for grounds for discrimination, and they establish guidelines for collection of evidence, victim protection, and effective punishment for hate crime.
With this, Ecuador is seeking to combat manifestations of violence and crime based on discrimination, ensuring equality, inclusion, and access to justice for all regardless of their migratory status.
However, the delegation of Ecuador, as I just said, recognizes completely transparently that the existence of this solid normative framework does coexist side by side with complex challenges when it comes to its practical implementation.
On court proceedings for crimes of trafficking, discrimination, and hate crime 2021-2026, I can tell you that on crimes related to human trafficking in 2021, there were 38 cases in 2022, 38 in 2023, 14 in 2024, 23 cases in 2025, 23, and in 2026, there were nine so far, the total is 145.
The crime of discrimination, 20217 cases, 20229 cases, 20236, 2024, five, 20257, 20263 total, 37.
Crimes, hate crimes, 2021, 2017 cases, 2022, 2011, 2023, 2014, 2024, 2013, 2025, seven, 20263, overall total 65.
Among the three aforementioned crimes, and what we've mentioned total is a total of 347 cases under these three.
It's also important to flag that on the cases mentioned regarding ill treatment that citizens have received from public officials in their duty, we have the Organic Law and Public Service, which sets out the legal framework that governs and regulates the actions of civil servants and public officials The national government has implemented different campaigns to improve this care and attention to users and to respect constitutional parameters of non discrimination and respect of rights.
On access to justice for women, in addition to the Constitution and relevant laws, Based on the Comprehensive gender policy from the Council of the Judiciary that was adopted through Resolution 158 2023, access to justice for women, women victims of gender based violence is guaranteed and ensured through services provided by the 39 specialized judicial units.
These have territorial competency across the country and there are 145 multi skilled or specialized units.
They competent in different areas.
Their staff, their legal and technical staff must ensure compulsory implementation of specialized protocols with a gender based approach, human rights, and intersectionality.
There will also expedite mechanisms for complaint receipt and the immediate granting of protection measures without requiring any formalities that may constitute barriers to access.
While the comprehensive gender policy from the Council of the Judiciary does not have specific provisions solely targeting migrant women, nonetheless, the broad brush strokes ensure universal access to justice through specialized protocols, immediate protection measures, and attention focused on the principles of equality, non discrimination, expeditiousness, non revictimization, and comprehensive protection.
Part of this framework, migrant women who are victims of gender based violence can have access to the same judicial mechanisms of effective guardianship regardless of their migratory status.
Their migratory status is not a barrier for the receipt of complaints, for the granting of protection measures or for implementation of institutional roadmaps for care and protection.
We should also highlight that the actions implemented by Ecuador when it comes to human mobility, care for migrants, prevention of discrimination, and strengthening protection mechanisms are in line with what is established in the National Agenda for gender equality and the National Agenda for equal Human mobility or human movement.
These are instruments which guide institutional action with a rights based approach, as well as focusing on equality, nondiscrimination and social inclusion.
Let me turn now to Trade Union freedom of migrant workers.
The state of Ecuador ensures exercise of trade union freedom of migrant workers in line with the provisions of ILO Convention 87 on trade union freedom and the protection of the right to unionize, which has been ratified by Ecuador.
In line with ILO Convention number 87, migrant workers, regardless of their status and without prior authorization, they have the right to form associations and to join these associations and to organize as long as they observe the statutes thereof.
This principle applies to migrant workers who are undertaking work in Ecuador, so they can enjoy protection from any form of discrimination based on their nationality or migratory status.
Similarly, the state promotes respect for the principles of freedom of association through labor inspection, aiming at verifying compliance with labor rights for foreign workers, including formal contracts being given, affiliation to Social Security, decent working conditions, and respect for collective rights.
These measures seek to prevent situations of labor exploitation or violation of rights due to migratory status.
Turning to domestic workers paid domestic workers, Paid domestic workers, including migrant workers, enjoy the same rights and safeguards recognized by Ecuadorian legislation.
Labor inspections, va compliance with obligations linked to remuneration, affiliation to the Social Security system, formal contracts, and recognition of labor benefits.
In addition to comprehensive inspections, we also conduct targeted inspections focusing on priority groups and most vulnerable sectors.
This enables us to have specialized oversight in terms of compliance with standards for workers and domestic workers, both foreign and Ecuadorian.
On social organizations and returned migrants, the state of Ecuador is promoting citizen participation and bolstering associations through tools such as the catalog of services, Here there is a Future, and the Unified System of Information on social Organizations.
These mechanisms facilitate access to capacity building programs, entrepreneurship, labor integration, and state services for the returned migrant population.
Similarly, we ensure regularization, transparency, and legal security of the social organizations that are working with and for people on the move.
I Regarding the question on the organic law on civil status, specifically the birth registration for foreign births, it's important to clarify that the National Director for civil registry identification and ID in line with the competencies accorded to it by Ecuador.
It conducts birth registration of foreign persons born on Ecuadorian soil in line with the constitutional provisions, legal and regulations in place, as well as with the standards developed by jurisprudence in Ecuador's constitutional court.
The Constitution of Ecuador recognizes the right to identity, to legal personality, and to equality and non discrimination, ensuring that all individuals are registered from their birth and can access mechanisms enabling them to prove their legal existence.
Similarly, the organic law on managing identity and civil data establishes that individuals can proceed with this registration.
In line with this normative framework then, the institution ensures access to the birth registration service for foreign persons regardless of nationality or migratory status of parents.
This is not a hindrance for that registration as long as the requirements are met requirements are met.
This also is in line with the comprehensive principles for protection of boy Scots and adolescents, the best interests of the child, legal certainty, and universality of the right to an identity.
The registration of births of foreign persons is something that is fully in line with our constitutional and legal framework.
It's also important to say that when persons do not have the right documentation, the institution, namely the civil registry, in line with rulings from the constitutional court, because this legal precedent exists, it proceeds with the registration and the issuance of ID documents that are temporary until these individuals, depending on their status, can be regularized, in line with the legal arsenal and the legal order.
There is no violation of the right to identity.
On the contrary, it is guaranteed and not necessarily through an in person attendance to each institution.
It can also be done through these mobile units.
Mobile units go to the various local areas to help with this.
Committee members, Ecuador not only legislates in favor of its citizens, it also takes innovative steps to ensure that this legislation gets to people where they need it.
As a specific example of this commitment, the Director General for civil registry identification includes on the back of the ID document a QR code and just by scanning that, it connects to over 17 million Ecuadorians with essential public services.
It connects them to essential public services, for example, access to a first job.
Present filing of complaints with the Attorney General's, consular services, Foreign Ministry services, information on ID orders and other processes that are provided by the state.
Ecuador is the first country of Latin America and the Caribbean to implement this model, which is proof that the ID document can be more than just a single document.
It can be a key that opens the door for all citizens rights regardless of where they are.
I give the floor to the Deputy Minister now.
Thank you.
Ecuador maintains that the reform to the humanity law is fully aligned and does not exceed the limits established in the 1951 Convention or in its 1967 protocol.
On the contrary, the spirit of the Ecuadorian legislation is fully in line with the object and purpose of these international instruments.
Regarding the immediate cesssation clause that I mentioned, the organic law on human mobility textually includes the six grounds in Article 1C of the 1951 Convention and therefore keeps the international standard fully intact.
There is just one recent reform which includes a new ground for cessation of the status when the person has voluntarily settled in a third country and where there are specific circumstances that are congruent, such as the lack of renewal of the protection visa or because they have been absent from Ecuadorian territory without authorization to travel.
This provision is based on the principle of subsidiarity of international protection.
The status of refugee is by its very nature, a replacement protection because of the lack of amp of state of origin, hence the need for original protection from Ecuador.
It logically stems ceases when the individual voluntarily chooses to move elsewhere and to settle elsewhere permanently.
That's a logical consequence.
This also is in line with the reality of migratory flows in the region where Ecuador is frequently a transit country at all other destinations.
Therefore, in answer to the question from the porteur, we can tell you that the organic law on human mobility does not go beyond the convention in a restrictive sense, rather, it updates implementation of the principles given current migratory movements.
The the National Specialized Directorate for Children and adolescence is called Dina Pen and competent that police unit is competent to protect, investigate, and guarantee full exercise of the rights of minors.
Its action focuses on preventing violations, intervening in risk situations, and ensuring juvenile justice applies.
The minors police is competent The action is governed by the principle of the best interests of the child, which can be summed up into four areas.
Firstly, protection and restoration of rights, rescue and emergency immediate intervention and raids in cases of infragmented, to ill treatment or immediate risk for a minor, emergency custody, removal of the minor from hostile environments, and immediately referring them to institutional or family shelter.
Search, their activation of protocols to locate disappeared children and adolescents.
On juvenile justice and juvenile offenders.
There is preventive isolation.
If the adolescents are apprehended in flagrantedlcto for age 12-17, their total separation from adults is guaranteed.
They are immediately brought before a court, or before the juvenile attorney, and incompetent judge on custody, they're safely transferred requested by the attorney general's office.
There are also measures complied with, such as the Monitoring public and commercial spaces.
As the guiding body in this area, on an annual basis conducts capacity building and training and awareness raising, citizen fairs and other training and awareness raising spaces aimed at preventing these occurrences.
On protection of victims technical mechanisms, one being the case coordination team.
This team is headed up by the Ministry of the Interior and made up of eight state institutions.
The goal is to immediately in a timely, specialized way, ensure assistance and protection for victims of trafficking.
This collegiate body has developed technical and normative instruments that are specialized and that established procedures, institutional competencies and skills, and roadmaps for protection as well as tools aimed at detecting victims and manuals for initial intervention.
Investigation and punishment.
Ecuador has gradually strengthened its investigative capacity and capacity to bring people to court when it comes to trafficking.
We have a national investigation into Trafficking Unit, which is a specialized body of the national police force and through special investigation techniques, conducts profiling activities, identification, and victim identification and rescue, as well as activities aimed at breaking down criminal structures that are linked to this crime.
Similarly, the Attorney General's Office since 2023 has established an operational guide of investigation of the crime of trafficking has support staff.
This document has enabled us to bolster criminal investigations and achieve better results by strengthening criminal justice, taking into account that most victims are women, children and adolescents.
On the assumed forced disappearance of albert Eso Ramirez, the specialized unit of the investigation into illegitimate use of force began proceedings on the 24th of November 2025 within one the relevant department against various military officials of the Special Forces, which were involved in the operation on the 7th of December 2024 in the Limon Bo sector in the Balsabamba neighborhood in the province of Bolivar.
The proceedings seek to punish the military members for their actions during the enforced disappearance.
However, with a view to continuing with the search and location of their citizen, there is a new pri investigation with the goal of continuing to further investigate the location of the disappeared There are at least 300 pieces of evidence that are being considered, including witnesses witness statements, both direct and indirect.
There were also investigators, both from the UNIF as well as from other bodies working together to locate the disappeared person.
We're also involving, as I say, forensic witnesses in line with enforced disappearance standards under the Universal and Inter American Human Rights systems, as well as requests for information from various institutions.
There have been telephone and forensic reports, there are videos, Information from social networks, private hearings.
These are all being included in this investigation.
The most important thing is the lack of objectivity into the investigation undertaken by the armed forces.
They haven't provided information related to the disappearance of the citizens, but they are obliged to do so in line with the Constitution and international structures on civil society.
Ecuador has various mechanisms which seek to strengthen citizen participation, supporting the migrant population who have returned and promoting the work of civil society organizations.
We would highlight the very many programs and governmental services, for example, here there is a future and the unified social Organization system.
The central government is also managing a campaign against irregular migration.
Which has a website with a catalog of programs and services as part of this auto program.
There is centralized information on job opportunities, professional vocational training, capacity building support for returned citizens.
I think bearing in mind the request from the chair, I'll leave it there because of time constraints.
However, we do still have more information to send you.
Thank you, Vice Minister Karuku, for concluding vi, but I would encourage you to rest of your statement to be sent by in writing to us by email so that we can raps and we will benefit from that.
The fact that we had the full time of the session is a manifestation that we have had a good dialogue.
I will give the floor to both rapurs or one of them to make concluding observations and remarks.
Edgar.
Phone for Thank you very much Chairman.
Thank you very much to the Deputy Minister ladies and gentlemen, members of the delegation.
I really wanted to extend my very warm thanks to you for your engagement for this very interesting dialogue, the efforts your country is making and the importance you attached to migrants in your economy and the number of migrants who have settled in your country or who are in transit through it.
I welcome that commitment from you.
Although we haven't yet had all of the answers that we would have liked, perhaps, you can, as the Chairperson has said, provide us with more information in writing within 48 hours.
I would reiterate my warm thanks to you for all of the information and responses that you've given.
I would also warmly thank the Deputy Minister for the clarity and precision of his responses.
The clarity that you have given is very welcome for the work of our committee and for the report, which ultimately I think we hope will help you.
I would echo the words Emmanuel Machado, the poets Ban print who says Co no Caminos as we build as we go.
We forged the path as we go and is very well known.
It's been turned into a song by Manuel Serra, but there's initially a Spanish poet who said those words.
As you implement your plans and programs in the spirit of respect for the convention of the protection of migrant workers and all members of their families and the Marrakesh Pact, As mentioned in our general comment number six, I think that in my humble opinion, you will find the Camino that Machado was talking about, the path towards full effectiveness of human rights in particular those of migrants.
By way of conclusion, I would also like to thank the team from our Secretariat.
We as a committee are lucky enough to have a very devoted team.
Their help and support and sense of responsibility are extremely valuable.
They've helped us to organize this dialogue in the best possible conditions.
And we look forward to their support speech of the concluding observation.
Thank you once again.
Thank you, Sheriff.
Excellency, you can have 2 minutes to make concluding remarks on Senor.
Chairperson, distinguished committee members, Secretariat members, interpreters, and of course, the team from the Mission of Ecuador and all members who are here present and who are following online from our beloved country on behalf of the government of Ecuador, I should like to express our most sincere thanks to the committee on the Protection of the rights of all migrant workers and members of their families for the depth and rigor with which this constructive dialogue has been undertaken as part of the review of the fourth Periodic Report of Ecuador.
Over these two days, delegation has had the opportunity to present the normative institutional and programmatic progress achieved by Ecuador in implementing the convention, as well as to transparently take stock of the challenges that exist and continue in implementing the provisions fully.
Ecuador takes note with satisfaction of the elements that various committee members have highlighted positively over the course of this dialogue.
We particularly welcome the recognition of important efforts made by Ecuador Given the growing complexity of the migration situation, this is marked by socioeconomic trends which far exceed the individual capacities of states to respond to alone.
We particularly welcome recognition of our ratification of international human rights instruments, particularly the fact that we've been the first country in the world to have ratified all 27 human rights treaties classified as such by the United Nations Secretary-General.
We also are pleased that the committee members have voiced their recognition of the Quito process as a regional response that is a coordinated one when it comes to addressing the Venezuelan migration crisis, as well as Ecuador's active participation in regional coordination spaces.
We also take note of recognition of our implementation of the Global Compact on safe orderly and regular migration.
This is a clear sign of Ecuador's commitment to multilateral migratory governance frameworks.
Ecuador is also particularly pleased to receive a positive reaction to the adoption of the national plan to implement the Global Compact for safe orderly and regular migration in Ecuador.
This is a strategic roadmap for 2025, 2029 and is understood as a benchmark model for other countries in the region when it comes to implementation.
This recognition encourages us to further bolster our efforts and to continue sharing experiences at the regional and international levels.
This dialogue with the committee has highlighted the key nature of interinstitutional coordination, mainstreaming human rights based approach in migration management, and the need to strengthen and step up international cooperation to ensure effective and comprehensive protection for migrant workers and their family members regardless of their migratory status.
Ecuador reiterates its full commitment to the principles and obligations stemming from the convention and reiterates its readiness to continue moving in close collaboration with the committee towards full implementation of the rights recognized therein.
Thank you very much, Chairman.
Thank you, Vice Minister Pekorcu.
The fact that we had the full time utilized for this dialogue shows the content and the substance of this dialogue.
As you would recognize, the questions and interactory dialogue will contribute to a common objective that this committee and you share that to provide the best possible rights based approach and implementation of the convention incrementally better in time to come and in that effort, your commitment is welcome and that we will our concluding observations will also be in that spirit to improve what you do already well, but to make that improvement as we go forward.
Of course we look forward to receive your next periodic report when it's due.
And of course, I want to thank for your contributions, Excellency, you have made real effort to explain the situation to us and we look forward for this cooperation in time to come.
And, of course, I want to wish you and the delegation who came from Ecuador safe journey back.
Thank you so much.
And want to thank the interpreters for giving us extra time when it's required.
I Colleagues, I think we have now concluded the periodic report examination tomorrow morning at 10:00, Committee will continue the consideration of second periodic report of Ghana.
Meeting is adjourned.
Thank you very much, Chairman.