Advancing the Dialogue on Migration and Development in Preparation for the 15th GFMD Summit in Colombia

Highlights from the Second Preparatory Meetings and Roundtable Consultations

Geneva, 24 February 2025

The Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) held the second Preparatory Meetings and Roundtable Consultations under the Colombian Chairship in Geneva on 19-20 February 2025. The participatory process gathered more than 130 delegates representing 50 Member States, 30 representatives from 16 international organizations, and nearly 30 representatives from civil society organizations, youth, the private sector, and local and regional governments.

After fruitful meetings in November 2024 dedicated to identifying challenges and opportunities related to the six thematic priorities of the 2024-2025 programme spearheaded by Colombia, the roundtable consultations of the Second Preparatory Meetings focused on the exchange of policies and practices among Member States and GFMD stakeholders.

For the first time, the Friends of the Forum Meeting included a thematic focus in which speakers from different sectors, including innovators from start-up companies, presented promising practices related to the overarching theme of the Colombia Chairship on ‘Regular Migration, Labour Mobility and Human Rights: Pillars of Development and Well-Being of Societies’ to warm up the dialogue space of the roundtables. The Mayors Mechanism also introduced the White Paper 'How Local and Regional Governments Shape Regular Migration Pathways', offering an initial analysis of how local authorities develop, promote, and implement such pathways.

Academics and researchers also played a pivotal role in the special session titled "From Knowledge to Action: Insights and Stories on Migration," sharing thought-provoking historical and contemporary perspectives on migration. During this event, Dr. Damiano Robbiani, Curator of the Museum Malcantone (Ticino, Switzerland), and Dr. Diego Acosta, Professor of Migration Law at the University of Bristol (United Kingdom), showcased stories of migration based on experiences and testimonies from people on the move and discussed existing free human mobility regimes across the world.

This event was also the occasion for the GFMD Colombia Chair to present its new initiative, ‘Research Insights for Policy Makers,’ which features a series of videos on academic research dedicated to thematic areas at the core of the Forum. The series of videos will be made available online on the GFMD website and social media as of April 2025.

The GFMD roundtables maintained the key components of informality and interactive discussions designed for the GFMD 2024-2025 program of Colombia, allowing all the participants to debate initiatives, exchange lessons learned, and explore collaborations in the field of migration for development. The practices showcased during the consultations covered diverse countries and regions and were multidisciplinary in focus, reflecting the inclusive dialogue space of the Forum.

The session was also an opportunity to zoom in on selected practices proposed by the Member States and Mechanisms acting as Co-Chairs of each roundtable. All the practices gathered will be annexed to the Final Outcome Summaries for the Summit and made available on the GFMD Platform for Partnerships (PfP).

In parallel, the GFMD Business Mechanism launched their Narrative Campaign with the video Rethinking Migration: Unlocking Growth Through Legal Pathways for Employment & Inclusive Policies. The campaign aims to highlight the positive impact of migration on businesses, economic growth, and society.

Colombia, as Chair of the GFMD 2024-2025, announced that the Summit will take place in Barranquilla, a city that has historically been characterized as an epicenter of cultures and policies to welcome the migrant population. The Summit will take place from 11 to 13 June 2025.

Colombia has invited GFMD Member States to step forward to take leadership of the process, as they will be ending their term on 1 August 2025. The Chair emphasized the vital role of the Forum as a constructive space for dialogue on migration and development and encouraged Member States to uphold the process and ensure its continuity.