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Latest News:

162 Countries Attend the GFMD 2011 Concluding Debate; Mauritius Takes Over from Switzerland as GFMD 2012 Chair

06 December 2011

05 December 2011, Geneva — Switzerland welcomed over 700 representatives from 162 UN Member States, 37 GFMD Observers, and varied civil society groups when the GFMD 2011 Concluding Debate opened on 1 December 2011 in Geneva.

Federal Councilor Simonetta Sommaruga of the Federal Department of Justice and Police opened the GFMD 2011 Concluding Debate. Ambassador Eduard Gnesa, Swiss Special Ambassador for International Cooperation in Migration, chaired both the GFMD 2011 preparatory process that began in December 2010 as well as the GFMD 2011 Concluding Debate in Geneva.

05 December 2011, Geneva — Switzerland welcomed over 700 representatives from 162 UN Member States, 37 GFMD Observers, and varied civil society groups when the GFMD 2011 Concluding Debate opened on 1 December 2011 in Geneva.

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GFMD at a Glance

Now in its sixth year, the Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) has remained as the largest and most comprehensive global platform for dialogue and cooperation on international migration and development. Following the 2006 UNGA High Level Dialogue on Migration and Development (HLD) the GFMD has opened up a space for informal and voluntary dialogue among countries on current and emerging migration and development issues. Over time, its members have sought to find innovative ways of promoting a practice-related and action-oriented process.

From Brussels (2007) to Manila (2008), Athens (2009) Puerto Vallarta (2010) and Geneva (2011) , more than 160 governments have taken part in the annual meetings of the GFMD, which saw Roundtable discussions around central themes proposed by the host governments. Underpinning these annual themes is the common understanding that migration is a constant phenomenon, and that through dialogue and partnerships, governments and other stakeholders can help and learn from each other in order to maximize migration’s developmental benefits while minimizing its negative impacts.

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