First United Nations Forum on International Migration Concludes Today
New York, 20 May 2022 – Member States, stakeholder representatives and the United Nations (UN) System gathered for the first International Migration Review Forum (IMRF) at the UN Headquarters in New York this week. The resulting IMRF Progress Declaration provides States and all partners with a common way forward on migration governance.
“While the finalization of the Progress Declaration is a milestone for multilateral engagement on migration, we have an obligation to breathe life into that text. To act upon its provisions and realize their concrete benefits,” said Abdulla Shahid, President of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly and chair of the International Migration Review Forum.
Taking place on 17-20 May, the Forum was the first opportunity to celebrate successes and reflect on challenges faced in the implementation of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM) since its adoption in 2018. On the day preceding the Forum, 16 May, an informal hearing with stakeholders was held, which fed into the subsequent discussions, as did inputs gathered from consultations held at local, national and regional levels over the past months.
“The Global Compact’s central vision is premised on recognising the reality of migration, without judgement, grounded in fact. It is a vision that believes migrants are not to be feared, but rather celebrated as vital members of rich, flourishing societies,” said António Vitorino, the Director General of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and Coordinator of the UN Network on Migration, which ensures effective and coherent system-wide support for the implementation of the GCM, including by supporting the organization of the Forum.
“At this first global review of the Compact, we took stock of how far we have come and how much more we need to do. While we have much to be proud of, any pride is tempered by the reality that we continue to bear witness to what an absence of progress means for the lives of so many.”
This first IMRF is a milestone along the path towards realizing the vision of the GCM and turning ongoing commitments into reality with the support of the UN system. The number of pledges made this week, coupled with the soon to be adopted progress declaration, is a step closer to changing the lives of the 281 million migrants in the world.
Since the launch of its Pledging initiative in December 2021, the UN Network on Migration has received 158 pledges, with over 100 pledges made by 25 Member States. Several States pledged additional financing to the Migration Multi-Partner Trust Fund while others committed to undertake policy and legal work on migration such as on ending migration detention of children or addressing the impacts of climate change. The UN System, five different regional and national UN Networks on Migration, ILO, IOM, OHCHR and UNDP also made a common pledge, while the Inter-Agency Standing Committee, comprising 16 UN agencies and NGOs also pledged support for migrants affected by crises. The pledges received are displayed on the pledging initiative dashboard.
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Access the Draft Progress Declaration here.
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The Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration
Adopted in Marrakesh in 2018, the GCM was borne out of the understanding that no one government can effectively govern migration alone. This goes for unlocking the potential of global mobility, as well as protecting people from harm. Through the Global Compact, States created a blueprint for comprehensive, rights-based migration policy and established 23 objectives covering all facets of migration. While the Global Compact’s guiding principles, aims and actions are not legally binding, they are founded on recognized commitments and values embodied in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and international law. The GCM is the first inter-governmentally negotiated agreement on migration in all its aspects. The next International Migration Review Forum will take place in 2026
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