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The GFMD and the Global Compact on Migration

GCM LogoGeneral Assembly Resolution 73/195 acknowledges the GFMD as a process that paved the way for the New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants, through which Member States committed to elaborate a Global Compact for Refugees and a Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (Operative Paragraph 3).

The inter-governmentally negotiated outcome of the GCM recognizes the GFMD as an important platform to facilitate the exchange experiences on the implementation of the GCM, share good policies and practices on cooperation, promote innovative approaches, and foster multi-stakeholder partnerships around specific policy issues (OP 47).

The GFMD is invited to provide a space for annual informal exchange on the implementation of the Compact and report findings, best practices and innovative approaches to the International Migration Review Forum (OP 51).

In addition, the GFMD Platform for Partnerships (PfP) is acknowledged as a building block of the global knowledge platform envisioned as one of the three elements of the proposed UN capacity-building mechanism (CBM).

The modalities Resolution of the International Migration Review Forum (IMRF), adopted by the General Assembly on 19 July 2019, invites the GFMD, including its civil society, business and mayors mechanisms, to provide a space for informal exchanges on the implementation of the Global Compact, and report the findings, best practices and innovative approaches to the forums.

Flexible Engagement Modalities 

The GFMD comprises Member States that have not adopted the GCM as well as GCM Champion countries. To respect the different perspectives of its large and diverse constituency, the GFMD Chairs that have taken office after the adoption of the GCM have engaged flexibly through a range of activities to allow committed stakeholders to bring the outcomes of the Forum to support the GCM implementation.

The GFMD Ecuador 2019 Chair and GFMD UAE 2020 Chair both hosted a dedicated dialogue on the GCM back-to-back with their respective Summits. In the GFMD Interim period (February 2021-June 2022), the GFMD Steering Group formed a dedicated sub-committee to develop a report for the first International Migration Review Forum (IMRF). The GFMD France Chair (2022-2023) established a dedicated multi-stakeholder Rapporteur Team to bring the outcomes of the GFMD 14th Summit to the 5th Annual Meeting of the UN Migration Network held in Geneva immediately after the Summit. 
 

GFMD Initiatives in the lead up to the GCM

GFMD Dialogues on the GCM

· 1st Dialogue on the GCM (14 Nov 2016, New York)
· 2nd Dialogue on the GCM (2 Feb 2017, Geneva)
· 3rd Dialogue on the GCM (6 April 2017, Geneva)
    · GFMD Dialogue on the GCM Implementation (4 Sept, 2018)

GFMD Thematic Workshops

· Workshop on Climate Change & Human Mobility (24 May 2017, Rabat)
· Thematic Workshop on the GFMD contribution to the GCM (6 Sept 2017, Vienna)
· Stocktaking Workshop on GCM (19 Sept 2017, Vienna)
· Workshop on Children and Youth on the Move: Implementing Sustainable Solutions (21-22 June 2018, Agadir)
· Workshop on Labor Migration and Skills (3 May 2018, Geneva)

10th GFMD Summit in Berlin (28-30 June 2017, Berlin)

· Roundtables framed according to the migration-related SDGs and GCM themes
· GCM Rapporteurs evaluated the debates to draw inputs for the GFMD’s contribution to the GCM

Ad hoc Working Group on the 2030 Agenda and the GCM

Additional Relevant Documents

The relationship between the GFMD and the United Nations System

The GFMD is open to all States Members and observers of the United Nations, but it does not form part of the United Nations system. As an independent State-led process, the GFMD cooperates with the UN system in a number of ways, which have evolved over time. Below are some examples:

  • Submission of the Reports of the Chair through the UN Secretary-General.
  • Presentation of GFMD written contributions to the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF).
  • Collaborating with the UN Migration Network to allow interested Member States to bring GFMD outcomes in support of the implementation of the Global Compact on Migration (GCM).
  • UN Secretary Generals have attended GFMD Summits.
  • The Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on International Migration and Development (SRSG) played a crucial role from 2007 to 2018, offering advice to GFMD Chairs and participating in preparatory activities and Summits.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon speaks at the 7th GFMD Summit GFMD in Stockholm (2014). 
From left: H.E. Ban Ki-moon, H.E. Eva Åkerman Börje, H.E. Peter Sutherland, H.E. Tobias Billström, H.R.H Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, H.E. Fredrik Reinfeldt.


For more information on the relationship of the GFMD with the UN and its agencies, please see:

UN Secretary General António Guterres
Video message of UN Secretary General António Guterres at the 9th GFMD Summit in Dhaka (2016)

The GFMD Working Group on Sustainable Development and International Migration (SD&IM) supports the implementation, follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda and the Global Compact on Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM).

Genesis – 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

Created in 2016 under the GFMD Chairmanship of Bangladesh and denominated the Ad Hoc Working Group on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the initial focus of the working group was to explore ways for the GFMD to support the 2030 Agenda’s implementation.

Renewed Mandate under the German-Moroccan Co-Chairmanship in 2017-2018

The mandate of the Working Group on the Agenda 2030 was extended at the GFMD Dhaka Summit (2016), recognizing the relevance of the Forum not only to support the 2030 Agenda, but also for the development of the GCM. The GFMD submitted its first recommendations to the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) in  2017 and 2018 – a practice that has continued regularly since - and shared substantive contributions in support of the GCM process.

The Working Group on Sustainable Development and International Migration (2019)

Following the adoption of the GCM in 2018, the Working Group name changed to Working Group on Sustainable Development and International Migration under the Ecuadorian GFMD Chairmanship (2019) and its scope of work was expanded to support international commitments related to the 2030 Agenda, the GCM, as well as the review of recommendations of the GFMD Ten Year Review (2018).

Subsequent Contributions to the HLPF

In 2023, during the French Chair’s term, the Working Group resumed its functioning after 18 months of hiatus, including the GFMD civil society mechanism as a Co-Chair. 

The Working Group facilitated the preparation of the GFMD focused input to the 2023 HLPF through an inclusive process engaging also the GFMD business mechanism, mayors' mechanism and the Migration Youth and Children Platform (MYCP), as well as the Ad Hoc Working Group on Public Narratives on Migration and the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Impacts of Covid-19 on Migrants, Migration and Development.

In line with a more interactive approach, the 2024 GFMD Focused Input to the HLPF was developed by the Working Group in collaboration with the Rapporteur Team for Agenda 2030 appointed by the GFMD 2022-2023 Chair, France to gather insights during the 14th Summit. Drafted by a team of rapporteurs from Ghana, Palau, the Mayors Mechanism and the Migration Youth and Children Platform (MYCP), the report was finalized with extensive contributions of Working Group and Steering Group members as well as the GFMD mechanisms.

Membership

Membership of the WG is on a voluntary basis, comprising between 12 and 15 members from different regions.

The current Members include Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Canada, Ecuador, Egypt, France (Co-Chair), Germany, Greece, Indonesia, Mexico, Morocco, Philippines, Republic of Moldova, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates (Co-Chair) and the GFMD Civil Society Mechanism (Co-Chair).

Representatives of the GFMD Mechanisms, the UN Migration Network on Migration, International or Regional Organizations or any other expert may be invited to attend WG meetings.

A GFMD Committee on GFDM-GCM Relations (2021-2022)

In the absence of a Chair in Office between February 2021 and June 2022, a dedicated GFMD Committee on GFMD-GCM relations developed the first GFMD Report to the International Migration Review Forum (IMRF) of the Global Compact on Migration (GCM), which was presented in May 2022.

Links

Thematic Working Groups

As per the GFMD Operating Modalities, thematic follow-up working groups (WGs) may be established by the Steering Group. These groups aim to take forward policy insights and recommendations derived from GFMD discussions between Summit Meetings.

The WGs consult with the GFMD Troika and the GFMD Steering Group to ensure that the WG activities are in line with the priorities of the Chair in office and the overall focus of the Forum. 

Membership of WGs is on voluntary basis, regionally balanced and open to State and non-state partners, including the GFMD mechanisms and international organizations.
 

ad_hoc_img

Current GFMD Working Groups

To respond to current and emerging events, and in line with the thematic priorities of the GFMD Chair-in-Office, there are currently two active GFMD Working Groups :

Sustainable Development and International Migration Public Narratives on Migration

Previous GFMD Working Groups

  • Ad hoc Working Group on the Impacts of Covid-19 on Migrants, Migration and Development (2020-2022). The WG was set up in spring 2020, when the Covid-19 pandemic was hitting communities around the globe with full force. The WG brought together a multi-stakeholder community of states, local governments, businesses and civil society groups to share experiences and lessons learned with regards to the impact of Covid-19 on migrants, migration and development. During the Summit of the UAE in 2021, it presented a paper to show paths to strengthen multi-stakeholder dialogues in tackling Covid-19.
  • Working Group on 2030 Agenda and the GCM (2016-2019). The WG was created, according to the WG’s Terms of Reference in order to consider the best ways for the GFMD to support the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and to contribute to the follow-up and review process. In addition to the Report produced at the end of 2016, this working group produced concrete and significant outcomes, specifically the GFMD Recommendations to the HLPF in 2017 and 2018 and the “Thematic Recollection 2007-2017”. In 2019, the WG was renamed as the “Working Group on Sustainable Development and International Migration.”
  • Ad hoc Working Group on Communications (2015-2018). Recognizing that a sound communication strategy is of vital importance for an intergovernmental body like the GFMD, the objective of this WG, as per the WG’s Terms of Reference, was to assess the GFMD’s communication needs and the feasibility of adopting new ways for effective communication. After conducting a survey of the Forum’s communication needs, the WG presented its Report at the 2016 Dhaka Summit with short to long term recommendations on how to enhance GFMD communications. Most of the immediate recommendations have been implemented, and a GFMD communications strategy, completed in 2018, now serves as the basis of the GFMD communications plan.
  • Ad hoc Working Group on Protection and Empowerment of Migrants and the Ad hoc Working Group Policy Coherence, Data and Research (2008 – 2013). These two WGs were created with an aim to link GFMD recommendations to existing and forthcoming thematic priorities, and to encourage pilot activities.

GFMD ad hoc Working Group on Public Narratives on Migration

Public perceptions of migration have become highly polarized and influenced by misinformation globally. The spread of inaccurate narratives can negatively impact both migrants and host communities. Governments, local authorities, civil society and businesses have an opportunity to combat mis and disinformation by promoting balanced and evidence-based public narratives on migration. Public discourse can significantly affect social cohesion, support for diversity, economic growth and innovation.

The GFMD Ad Hoc Working Group on Public Narratives on Migration was established in February 2020 to create a strong partnership among GFMD stakeholders in pursuing this common goal. Upon proposal of the Government of Canada, the GFMD Steering Group unanimously endorsed the Working Group's creation.

Recognizing the crucial role of cities and local communities in shaping accurate migration narratives and in fostering social inclusion and migrant integration, the Steering Group also approved, for the first time, the inclusion of the Mayors Mechanism as a Co-Chair of a GFMD Working Group alongside governments. The practice of inviting a GFMD mechanism to co-chair along with governments was then extended to other GFMD working groups, including the Working Group on Sustainable Development and International Migration; and the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Impact of Covid 19 on migrants and migration. 

The mandate of this Working Group revolves around three objectives:

  1. enhance the capacity of WG members and the broader GFMD community on the topic of migration narratives; 
  2. foster the creation of partnerships and joint activities that can contribute to shifting the narrative on migration; 
  3. provide recommendations on the topic of migration narratives for the GFMD’s contribution to the implementation, review and follow up of the 2030 Agenda and the GCM.
     

Membership

  • Co-Chairs:  Canada, Ecuador and GFMD Mayors Mechanism
  • Member States:  Algeria, Bangladesh, Canada, Ecuador, Ireland, Mexico, Morocco, The Gambia
  • Members representing the local perspective:  City of Johannesburg, City of Mechelen, City of Montreal, City of Sao Paulo, Welcoming International, the GFMD Mayors Mechanism
  • Members representing civil society: Oxfam, UNMGCY, ICMC/Coordinator of Civil Society Coordinating Office
  • Members representing the private sector: Talent Beyond Boundaries, ERC Worldwide, IOE/Coordinator of the GFMD Business Mechanism
  • International Organizations:  IOM, ICMPD, OHCHR and the European Union (DG Home)

Links

Contact 
The Working Group is currently Co-Chaired by Canada, Ecuador and the GFMD Mayors Mechanism. The Co-Chairs can be contacted at: wg_narratives@gfmd.org.

GFMD Summits

The GFMD dialogue culminates in the organization of Summits. The Forum has hosted Summits on a regular basis since its establishment in 2007. The rotating GFMD Chair in office proposes the themes to be discussed within the Forum for the duration of its term. Topics are chosen through a broad consultative process with other Member States and stakeholders. This approach ensures that the dialogue on migration and development can evolve flexibly over time based on Member States priorities, maintaining the engagement of stakeholders and bringing expertise from State and non-State actors. Each Chair brings its own distinctive and innovative elements to the dialogue within the Forum. The Forum is organized around a set of key activities:

The Summit preparatory process

The preparatory process includes meetings and consultations in the lead up to the final Summit, such as preparatory meetings of the GFMD supporting structures (Troika, Steering Group, Friends of the Forum), Roundtable Team Consultations and Thematic Workshops (optional). 

Preparatory meetings help set the agenda and engage states and observers around the thematic priorities at the centre of the program. Roundtable Team Consultations allow governments and other stakeholders to exchange views on the thematic priorities building the dialogue in preparation of the Summit, capturing the scope of the discussions in background papers with the aim of getting to the Summit with a solid basis for a constructive dialogue. In 2024, under the Colombia GFMD Chair, new modalities to refresh the dialogue space and create more opportunities for interaction within it are being considered. 

Thematic Workshops may be organized in addition to preparatory meetings and roundtable consultations to offer additional opportunities for in-depth discussions and/or promote regional engagement on the topics at the centre of the debate. Thematic workshops may be hosted by GFMD observers in partnership with the Chair.
 

GFMD Summit 

The GFMD Summit is usually hosted by the Chair in their home country. However, during the Chair of France the 14th GFMD Summit (2024) took place in Geneva. 

GFMD Summits are inter-governmental dialogues among all UN Member States and GFMD Observers. Participants include high-level policy makers, technical experts and practitioners who engage in informal discussions on topics at the core of the migration debate with the aim of articulating the multiple and significant connections between migration and development across a broad variety of policy areas.

Over the years, the GFMD Summits have also expanded to provide opportunities for multi- stakeholder participation, including civil society, private sector, mayors, local/regional governments, youth and academia. This inclusive approach ensures a dynamic dialogue and the exchange of multiple perspectives on contemporary migration debates with a 360 degree approach. 
 

The GFMD Secretariat

A permanent Secretariat for the Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) was established in January 2023 with the aim to provide logistical and administrative support to the Forum. Hosted by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Geneva, the Secretariat assists the GFMD Chair-in-Office, Troika and Steering Group with the organization of meetings and high-level Summits and ensures liaison and information flow among the GFMD stakeholders and Friends of the Forum. The Secretariat also assists the Chair in financial management and fundraising and is responsible for GFMD communications and data management.

The GFMD was serviced by a dedicated Support Unit from 2008 to 2021.

Resources:

Friends of the Forum

The Friends of the Forum (FOF) is open to all Member States and GFMD Observers, which include some UN observers, specialized UN agencies, international organizations, regional consultative processes and select non-government stakeholders (see a list of GFMD Observers).

The FOF ensures all members and observers are informed of Forum-related developments, advises on the programme and discusses issues of substance.

Participation in the FOF is guided by the defining principles of the Global Forum on Migration and Development – voluntary participation, informality and state-led nature of the process. FoF members  designate contacts that form a part of the GFMD Focal Points Network.

For more information see:

The GFMD Friends of the Forum – Terms of Reference

The GFMD and the private sector

After an initial phase of exploration in 2012, the foundation for private sector engagement in the GFMD was laid during the Swedish (2013-2014) and Turkish (2014-2015) terms and in 2015, Member States officially welcomed the establishment of the GFMD Business Mechanism (or Business Advisory Group on Migration). 

Since 2016, the GFMD Business Mechanism brings the voice of private sector to the Forum advocating for migration policies that consider economic perspectives. The International Organisation of Employers (IOE) hosts the secretariat to the GFMD Business Mechanism. 

For more information, please visit the GFMD Business Mechanism’s website.
 

To find out more about the outcomes of the past Business meetings, please view the outcomes documents from each year below:

GFMD Business Meeting 2018

The 2018 Business Mechanism meeting, held on 6 December as part of the Marrakesh GFMD Summit, presented stories, reactions and recommendations from both business and governments around the theme “Implementation of the GCM: how business will judge success in the 21st century world of work”. Discussion included a focus on, inter alia, the role of business in implementing the GCM, how migration is and will be needed to face the complex skills-gaps experienced by businesses, and whether and how business should advocate more publicly for the benefits of migration.

GFMD Business Meeting 2017

In 2017, the Business Mechanism hosted a round of global and regional business consultations in line with its four thematic priorities: (1) skills mobility, (2) responsible recruitment, (3) skills matching and (4) entrepreneurship. The Business Meeting also took an active role in the Global Compact for Migration preparatory process by contributing written content and engaging business speakers in the consultations in Geneva and New York, as well as at the Stocktaking Meeting in Puerto Vallarta.

GFMD Business Meeting 2016

In April 2016 a Business Mechanism Awareness Meeting was held on Enhancing the Public-Private Dialogue on Migration and Development, and in July 2016 the GFMD Business Mechanism Thematic Meeting took place. As a culmination of activities, the first GFMD Business Meeting took place at the Ninth GFMD Summit Meeting in Dhaka, focusing on the role of business in the Global compact for orderly and responsible migration.

GFMD Business Meeting 2015

Held in Istanbul on 15-16 May, the 2015 Business Meeting established the Business Mechanism as a formal and continuing part of GFMD activities. If was focused on the central theme: ‘Are businesses fit to compete in the global competition for skills? Strengthening public-private dialogue to rethink labor migration policies and international skills mobility in the framework of the GFMD’.

Other related documents

The History of GFMD

The idea of creating a global consultative forum on migration and development was proposed by Mr. Kofi Annan, former UN-Secretary-General, during the High-Level Dialogue on International Migration and Development (HLD) at the 2006 UN General Assembly. Over 140 Member States discussed the relevance of migration for development and recognized the need for a dedicated platform at global level, as no single forum existed at the time to bring together policy makers to discuss the contribution of migration to development.

Reflecting an acknowledgement at the international level of the limits of a strictly national approach to migration, widespread support emerged to establish an informal, non-binding, state-led dialogue to promote the exchange of practices and foster cooperation among governments. With time, the Forum has become increasingly open as a dialogue space engaging a multiplicity of stakeholders including civil society, business, mayors, youth and academia.

    

The Contribution of Migration to Sustainable Development

Having hosted its first Summit under the leadership of Belgium in 2007, the GFMD currently stands as the largest State-led dialogue on migration at global level, bringing together expertise from all regions of the world to help articulate the key role of migration for sustainable development as a shared agenda at global level.

A Dynamic Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue

Since its inception, the GFMD has operated on the basis of a unique and inclusive model of engagement, involving different governments agencies ranging from ministries of foreign affairs, interior, labour, social affairs, and others. 

Over time, the GFMD has gradually engaged a multiplicity of UN agencies, international organizations, State and non-State actors. The latter operate through self-organized stakeholder constituencies: the GFMD Civil Society Mechanism, GFMD Business Mechanism, GFMD Mayors Mechanism and Migration Youth and Children Platform.

Fostering International Cooperation

The GFMD serves not only as a space to discuss topics at the heart of contemporary debates on migration, but also as an incubator of innovative partnerships.

The Forum Objectives

  • Provide a platform for dialogue on the contribution of migration to development
  • Facilitate the sharing of knowledge and practices among countries and stakeholders
  • Promote international cooperation and partnerships

Key achievements

  • Over the years, the GFMD has contributed to lift migration onto the international agenda, including the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and forge global consensus on a set of migration-related policy objectives and targets, many of which have been adopted by the Global Compact for Safe, Regular and Orderly Migration (GCM).
  • The Forum continues to be a space to exchange knowledge and perspectives in cutting-edge areas at the center of attention of Member States, based on a program that is flexibly developed by governments in consultation with a variety of stakeholders.
  • The Forum helps build shared perspectives, circulate new practices and forge innovative partnerships among Member States, civil society, private sector, cities, youth and International Organizations
  • The GFMD has been an ‘incubator’ ante litteram for migration initiatives, including some historical programs (e.g., IOM Migrants in Countries in Crisis initiative - MICIC).
  • The informality of the process offers opportunities for innovating the modalities of the international dialogue on migration. The GFMD strives to offer new and engaging formats to promote the circulation of quality research, data, programs, inspirational ideas for solutions and partnerships.

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This map is for illustration purposes only. The boundaries and names shown and the designations used on this map do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by the Global Forum on Migration & Development.