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Civil society pushing 5-year action agenda for collaboration with states
Much of civil society continues to converge on the proposal for a 5-year action agenda for practical collaboration between governments and civil society, for states to adopt as a formal outcome of the HLD. The action agenda proposes collaboration around a limited set of eight key issues where there is a broad sense that progress is achievable:
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regulating the migrant labour recruitment industry and labour mobility mechanisms
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guaranteeing the labour rights of migrants.
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addressing protection needs of migrants stranded in distress, including migrants in transit
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addressing vulnerabilities, rights and empowerment of women and children in the context of human mobility
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ensuring migrants’ and migration’s rightful place on the post-2015 development agenda (i.e. in the “next generation” of Millennium Development Goals)
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engaging migrants and diaspora as entrepreneurs, social investors and policy advocates in development
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promoting the implementation of national legislation reflecting international standards regarding migrants and their families (in particular with regards to enforcement policies, social protection and due process)
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redefining the interactions of international mechanisms for migrants’ rights protection
Civil society leaders developed the 5-year agenda beginning in the civil society working sessions of the Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) in Mauritius, followed a week later at the World Social Forum on Migration in the Philippines, both in November 2012.
In December and again in February and April, over 100 national, regional and international civil society organizations submitted the agenda to the UN Second Committee, UN Member States and various processes in and outside the UN (e.g., the UN Coordination meeting and GFMD Friends of the Forum in February and the Commission on Population and Development in April) as a proposal for an explicit outcome at the HLD.
The keywords to the proposal and outcome: 5 year + commitment to collaboration.
Using the links below, download the 5-year action agenda, which was proposed to states as an outcome for the HLD (noting that the 8th point on diaspora and action has since been added):
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More than 600 civil society actors organized in regional, national and thematic preparations
Civil society worldwide has been preparing actively for the July and October events of the UN General Assembly’s second High-level Dialogue on International Migration and Development (HLD).
At national, regional and international levels, over 600 civil society actors have been organizing and meeting these past six months, specifically towards their engagement in the HLD process this year. Many of these meetings have nominated representatives to bring their results and recommendations to the HLD “informal interactive hearings” with governments at the UN in New York 15 July. In short, an overview of some of the meetings that have taken place:
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regional civil society meetings for the HLD in Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, Canada-US, South-America, West Asia
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national civil society consultations for the HLD in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia, Mexico, Nepal, the Netherlands, South Korea, Thailand, the United Kingdom
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thematic consultations for the HLD:
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the Netherlands: European Diaspora Conference;
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Switzerland: Joint Reflections on Migration and Development;
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Germany and Switzerland: regional Diaspora & Development Roundtable;
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and a forum on Human security, human development and international governance of migration, co-organized with Mexico.
Click here for a list and a map of civil society’s regional, national and thematic meetings preparing for the HLD, including the names of the civil society organizations and funders responsible for these meetings.
Have you organized or are you organizing a meeting for civil society in preparation for the UN High-level Dialogue on International Migration and Development? Send us the details and we can add it to the list and the map. |
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UN Panel discussion on international migration and development, 25 June 2013
As required by the UN General Assembly resolution regarding this year’s HLD (64/219), a panel discussion on international migration and development was held on 25 June at the UN in New York to bring together experts with governments and other actors in preparation for the HLD. Organized by the Office of the President of the UN General Assembly, panels included several academics, migrants and members of the diaspora. Particularly dramatic first-hand witness of the suffering of minor migrants crossing through Mexico was offered by award-winning journalist Sonia Nazario; Dr. Jesus Pérez Mendez of City University (New York) offered his personal story and reflection on struggling, succeeding and contributing as a migrant in the US.
A panel was devoted specifically to the HLD and broader governance of migration, featuring Sir Peter Sutherland, the UN Secretary General Special Representative for Migration; Ambassador Eva Åkerman-Börje, Chair of the 2014 GFMD; IOM Director General William Swing, and John K. Bingham of ICMC, representing civil society and the international Civil Society Steering Committee for the HLD. Within the panel’s question and answer format, Mr. Bingham presented the strong convergence of civil society around the imperative of an outcome at the HLD in October. Asked what three things civil society wanted out of the HLD, he answered “1. Collaboration; 2. Collaboration; 3. Collaboration.”, noting that as much as conversation in informal processes like the GFMD builds trust as well as knowledge, cooperative action builds trust also; “it is time—and possible—for more action from these conversations”.
UN permanent missions to the UN and observers were invited to attend the event, which was also open to representatives of non-governmental organizations accredited with the Economic and Social Council or the Department of Public Information with a valid UN grounds pass.
For further information, click here. |
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UN Member States confirm civil society organizations which can participate in the Informal Interactive Hearings and HLD
The Office of the President of the UN General Assembly has made public the list of 440 civil society organizations which pre-registered to participate in both the Informal Interactive Hearings 15 July and also the HLD itself 3-4 October. The organizations include non-government, faith-based and trade organizations, migrants and diaspora associations, academics and representatives of the private sector, with fair regional balance.
A little less than half are organizations accredited with consultative status with ECOSOC (the UN Economic and Social Council). As required by the UN General Assembly resolution regarding the HLD (67/219), the names of the organizations not in consultative status with ECOSOC were sent to Member States for review under the “non-objection basis”; very few were objected to.
Among the 440 organizations, 50 participants, mainly from developing/low income countries but also from low-budget migrant/diaspora organizations in developed countries, are being helped with the costs of flights and/or hotels thanks to funding from the MacArthur, Bancomer and Open Society Foundations.
Download the participation list of organizations in consultative status with ECOSOC here.
Download the participation list for organizations not in consultative status with ECOSOC here. |
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Program and concept paper of the HLD Informal Interactive Hearings on 15 July released
Working closely with ICMC and the international Civil Society Steering Committee for the HLD, the Office of the President of the UN General Assembly has released both a concept note and a provisional program for the HLD Informal Interactive Hearings at UN headquarters in New York Monday 15 July 2013.
The Hearings will take place on Monday, 15 July 2013 at the UN General Assembly Hall (North Lawn Building). There will be interpretation in all five UN languages, and a live webcast on http://webtv.un.org/.
Reflecting continuity in work-to-date by civil society and states in the meetings of the Global Forum on Migration and Development, and wide convergence among civil society organizations and networks at the recent World Social Forum on Migration in the Philippines as well as in the regional, national and thematic meetings that civil society has organized towards the HLD (see section above), the program for the Hearings is structured around the 5-year Action Agenda for collaboration with states. Specifically, the Hearings will focus on the 8 points of the Agenda as described in the first section of this newsletter, organized around four clusters:
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Migrant labour and mobility
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Migrant rights and protection
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Human development and diaspora action,
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Migration governance and partnerships.
These four themes are closely linked to the four roundtables of the 2013 High-level Dialogue on 3-4 October. As the UN General Assembly resolution called for the Hearings to be both interactive and serve as an input to the states-centered HLD meeting in October, the program of the Hearings aims to actively engage both civil society and government representatives.
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ICMC and HLD Civil Society Steering Committee organizing preparatory meetings in NYC 13-14 July
On Saturday and Sunday 13-14 July, i.e., immediately before the Hearings, the International Catholic Migration Commission (ICMC) and the international Civil Society Steering Committee for the HLD have organized two days of preparatory meetings of civil society in New York. All civil society participants who registered for the Hearings and the HLD itself have been invited to participate.
These two days will be the principal occasion for civil society to come together and develop clear messages to be discussed with UN Member States at the Hearings 15 July. The preparatory meetings will also allow for the maximum number of civil society participants to contribute to these messages, as intervention time during the Hearings will be quite limited.
Like the Hearings themselves, the work of the two preparatory days will focus on the 8 issues of civil society’s proposed 5-year Agenda for collaboration. They will have rapporteurs and further elect two speakers for the Hearings, all three of whom will be called upon during the Hearings to present specific perspectives and convergence from their working groups.
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Invitation for written input to the Hearings and High-level Dialogue
Due to the limited possibility for interventions from the floor during the Hearings on 15 July, participating organizations are welcome to submit a statement with perspectives and recommendations for the High-level Dialogue by e-mail.
These contributions will be considered as input for the Hearings on 15 July and will be posted on the civil society website. We will also pursue avenues for sharing the input directly with the program and website that the UN is organizing for the High-level Dialogue itself in October. Click here to see the contributions received so far. |
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Connecting to the HLD in October
In accordance with the UN GA resolution 67/219, the Office of the President of the UN GA will prepare and distribute to Member States and others an official report of the Hearings.
Civil society will continue to advocate for an HLD outcome with firm commitments to 5-year collaboration with civil society.
ICMC will continue to work with the international Civil Society Steering Committee and the UN offices on civil society engagement in the HLD itself, i.e., in the plenary meetings (three representatives) and roundtable meetings (number of civil society representatives to be determined), as called for in the UN GA resolution. Unfortunately, due to space restrictions, civil society participation at the HLD itself will be limited.
Civil society organizations from around the world and New York are organizing quite a number and range of parallel civil society events outside the UN during the week of the HLD, including trade unions and organizations that work for children and for migrant victims of violence and trauma in transit. More updates soon to follow.
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Important dates
All events are in NYC:
13-14 July: Preparatory meetings for civil society.
15 July: UN Informal Interactive Hearings with NGO’s, Civil Society Organizations and the Private Sector.
3-4 October: UN High-level Dialogue on Migration and Development
Further information, including statements and recommendations of civil society organizations and participants, is available on civil society’s own website for the HLD, www.hldcivilsociety.org. We invite you to regularly check the webpage for such perspectives and contributions, as well as updates on global civil society preparations leading up to the HLD in October.
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