Belize

Year: 2019
Type: Technical
Contributors: States

1. Belize shall display protection information advising on the right to seek asylum in Belize at border entry points; To ensure protection seekers can effectively access their rights, Belize pledges to provide clear and comprehensive information sets at all points of entry to Belize where asylum seekers arrive. The information will include rights, obligations and services for asylum seekers in Belize and will be communicated e.g. in the form of posters, on-screen displays or brochures, both in English and in Spanish as the main language used by most asylum-seekers. Specific information packages will also be designed to refer persons with specific needs to special assistance, including unaccompanied and separated children, victims of trafficking and survivors of gender-based violence. Belize will commit to engaging with interested countries to expand the experience on the development of these information packages and ensure that people have access to information at the earliest stage. 

2. Invite suitable bilateral offers for technical assistance in the area of asylum system support including livelihoods, education & psycho-social support; Government of Belize pledges to work on bilateral initiatives aimed at reaching out to exchanging experiences with other countries, in the region and otherwise, and to working towards the improvement of the asylum system in Belize. Learning from the experiences of other countries in the field of managing the provision of education services, livelihood opportunities, and modalities for provision of psychosocial support for asylum seekers and refugees will be sought through bilateral exchanges. These bilateral initiatives will take the form of twinning agreements, exchange visits and other modalities for experience-sharing. Belize will further endeavor to incorporate new initiatives and ideas to the current different national mechanisms addressing these issues with the aim of creating an asylum system that ensures efficiency, fairness, integrity, and adaptability.