El Salvador reaffirmed its growing international leadership on migration and human mobility during the general debate of the International Migration Review Forum 2026, held within the framework of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Representing the country, Foreign Minister Alexandra Hill presented the progress achieved since the implementation of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, emphasizing the transformation El Salvador has undergone under the leadership of President Nayib Bukele.

During her address, Hill highlighted that El Salvador established a National Coordination Mechanism on Human Mobility in 2023, integrating 45 national institutions to strengthen migration governance and interagency cooperation. She also noted that the country became the first in the hemisphere to launch a National Implementation Plan for the Global Compact in 2024, an initiative that has already benefited more than 476,000 migrants and their families.

The Salvadoran delegation also underscored advances in labor mobility programs, which have facilitated over 18,000 temporary and circular employment opportunities, as well as the implementation of legal protections and specialized services for Salvadorans abroad through diplomatic and consular missions.

As part of the forum, Vice Minister of Diaspora and Human Mobility Patricia Nathaly Godínez participated in policy discussions focused on diaspora support, legal assistance, and protection mechanisms for vulnerable migrants. She also co-led a regional dialogue on climate mobility alongside representatives from Guatemala, stressing the importance of international cooperation in addressing migration challenges linked to environmental factors.

Additionally, Salvadoran officials held bilateral meetings with international counterparts, including representatives from the Philippines, to exchange experiences on labor mobility and implementation of the Global Compact for Migration.

El Salvador also announced six new commitments aimed at strengthening implementation of its national migration strategy, after successfully fulfilling the commitments adopted during the previous forum in 2022. Authorities stated that these efforts reflect the country’s determination to continue advancing comprehensive migration policies through coordinated institutional action and global collaboration.

Through its participation in the forum, El Salvador positioned itself as an active regional voice in discussions on migration governance, diaspora engagement, and sustainable human mobility policies for the future.