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Weekly Update, 17 June 2022
Announcements      Campaigns        Events      Resources   ⋮   Reminders
 
REMINDER: The NGO Committee on Migration will not be meeting during the months of July and August. We will reconvene in September 2022.
 

NGO CoM Remarks for World Refugee Day

At the June monthly meeting of the NGO Committee on Migration (NGO CoM), Eva Sandis presented the following remarks in advance of World Refugee Day (20 June). This year, the theme of World Refugee Day is the right to seek safety: 
 

I am pleased that I was asked to pay tribute here today, on behalf of our Committee, to refugees across the globe in recognition of World Refugee Day.

Concern with refugees is in the DNA of the NGO Committee on Migration. Two of its 3 founding Mothers –Eva Richter and I -- are refugees, and the third, Rosita Resnick, is a migrant from Argentina. Our Committee has always counted refugees as well as migrants among its members, indeed, frequently its most active ones.

Since its inception, in 2007, our Committee has worked tirelessly to protect ALL migrants and their human rights in accordance with the United Nations Charter. We advocated for the adoption and implementation of the New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants, for the Global Compact on Refugees; and for  the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration.


Our focus has always been on solutions for those in need, especially the most vulnerable: children; climate refugees; migrants in mixed migration and other vulnerable situations, including trafficking, smuggling, violence, torture, and traumatization; and those subjected to racism and xenophobia.

We have advocated for both refugees and migrants in our Mission Visits with Member States, and in our monthly meetings. We have also advocated as contributing members to the Civil Society Action Committee, of which we were one of the founders and co-conveners. From the outset, in 2016, as a self-organized civil society movement, it was composed of an equal number of NGOs focused on refugees and of NGOs focused on migrants, working together. All the points of our Committee’s advocacy regarding the IMRF Progress Declaration are included in the Action Committee’s statement for “12 Key Ways for States to Get Back on Track.

For our Committee there is a clear call to move forward from the IMRF and engage in a strong civil society advocacy on behalf of a future that leaves no one behind. That means continuing direct talks with governments interested in partnering with civil society to find solutions to the needs of migrants, refugees, and displaced persons.

There is a need for a strong emphasis on protecting migrants in vulnerable situations, especially those in mixed migration movements, including recognized and de facto refugees;  and in that context, for strong support for the call of over 150 Mayors and city leaders, in their Marrakech Declaration of 2018, vigorously renewed at the IMRF, for the interaction of the Global Compact for Migration and its 2018 sister, the Global Compact on Refugees, implementing them “in unison”.

I will only touch on the importance of the two Compacts working together because that requires a full Program of its own, with consistent follow-up. However, even a brief comparison of the priorities and proposed next steps for the implementation of the Global Compact on Refugees and those for the implementation of the Global Compact for Migration show important common denominators, including:

  • The need for strengthened systems of international protection, enhancing access to territory and ensuring proper documentation of refugees and migrants;
  • Strengthening coordination between national governments and local communities;
  • Addressing climate change as a risk multiplier;
  • Enhancing self-reliance through work options;
  • Access to services, especially housing, education, and health;
  • Expansion of safe pathways and arrivals (this speaks to this year’s theme of World Refugee Day, namely: seeking safety is a human right)
  • More systematic participation by refugees and migrants in all  matters concerning them.

These common denominators cry out for a working together of the two global compacts. This has been suggested repeatedly but so far, not acted upon. As Ignacio Packer, the Executive Director of ICVA has noted, what is needed is a concrete mechanism to allow these two Compacts  to work together, and so far, there is none.

My proposal to you, in recognition of World Refugee Day, is to work to bring such a cooperative effort about  by making it a high priority item for our next round of 2022-23 Committee activities.

Click here to download a copy of the NGO CoM statement in honor of World Refugee Day.
 



UNNM Releases IMRF Summary Reports and Endorsement of the Progress Declaration by the General Assembly

The United Nations Network on Migration (UNNM) extends its gratitude to the contributors and participants of the International Migration Review Forum (IMRF). It recently released a number of resources from the IMRF, which the NGO Committee on Migration would like to call your attention to, including:
 

  • The summary report from the Multi-stakeholder Hearing, which directly preceded the IMRF. The summary can also be found on the UNNM website here. Access the full statements from all the event panelists here. In addition, the recording of the morning session can be watched here and the recording of the afternoon session can be found here.
  • The summary report of the IMRF (plenary, round tables, and policy debate). The report is also available online.
  • The Progress Declaration of the IMRF (contained in resolution A/76/L.58) formally endorsed by consensus of the General Assembly on 7 June 2022. 
  • For full and detailed coverage of the plenary meeting, please see the UN Web TV recording.

 



PMC: Public IMRF Debrief

The People's Migration Challenge (PMC) invites you to join them for a reflection on the first International Migration Review Forum (IMRF), as well as on ways forward in the implementation of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM). 

Join this event on Tuesday, 5 July 2022, from 9:00am-10:30am (EDT). The PMC will also be joined by distinguished panelists representing government, UN, civil society, and other stakeholders. Click here to register.

 



Statement on the occasion of the International Day of Family Remittances

In observance of the International Day of Family Remittances, the United Nations Network on Migration joins the international community in acknowledging the significant contribution that migrants and their families make towards the realization of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development through their remittances which, in 2021, are estimated to have amounted to USD 751 billion globally.

The Network also welcomes the Progress Declaration, which reviews progress in implementing the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, adopted at last month’s International Migration Review Forum. The Declaration reaffirms that remittances are a critical source of support for families and communities.


Click here to read the full statement on UNNM's website.
 



Welcoming a New NGO CoM Executive Committee

On 9 June 2022, the NGO Committee on Migration (NGO CoM) held an election to determine the composition of the Executive Committee for the coming 2022-2023 UN calendar year. We welcome the following individuals to the Executive Committee and new positions within it:

  • Chair: Cecilie Kern, Mercy International Association
  • Vice-Chair: Christine Mangale, Lutheran World Federation
  • Secretary: Sanjana Ragudaran, Poverty Elimination and Community Education Foundation
  • Treasurer: Nermin Ahmad, International Federation of Business and Professional Women
  • Member at Large: Pamela Morgan, Zonta International
  • Member at Large: Marciana Popescu, International Association of Schools of Social Work
  • Member at Large: Emeka Iloegbu, World Federation of Public Health Associations


Please join us in expressing immense gratitude to the individuals who will be rotating off the Executive Committee. We thank Maria Pia Belloni, Joe Klock, and Michelle Bell for all of their important contributions to the Executive Committee and the work of the NGO CoM. The achievements of the NGO Committee on Migration would not be possible without the efforts of these dedicated individuals. 
 



Post-IMRF Civil Society Recap

The first International Migration Review Forum (IMRF) was held from 17-20 May 2022, to discuss and share progress on the implementation of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM).

The Civil Society Action Committee (AC) released a summary of the IMRF, including details and reflections about the civil society preparatory day, the multi-stakeholder meeting, the forum itself, and the resulting Progress Declaration. 

Click here to access the AC's IMRF recap.

 



NGO Committee on Migration IMRF Spotlight:  NGO Committee speaks to States at the UN General Assembly (UNGA)
 

1.  Ms. Cecilie Kern, NGO Committee Vice-Chair and representative of Mercy International Association spoke in Roundtable 3 of the IMRF at the UNGA Wednesday, May 18, advocating for migrants’ access without fear to healthcare and other basic services, regularization of undocumented migrants, protection of labor rights and justice, mechanisms for migrant workers to recover unpaid wages from employers, and both a serious conversation—and structural action-- by States, civil society, Mayors and the private sector working together on inequalities, racism and xenophobia.

  • Read the one-page statement here
  • Click here to watch the video on UN- webTV (Cecilie's statement starts at 2:18:47)
 

2.  Ms. Christine Mangale, Member of the Executive Committee of the NGO Committee and representative of the Lutheran World Federation and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, represented the NGO Committee in a statement submitted to the UNGA and shared directly with the 24 governments with whom the NGO Committee has met since March, plus another 76 by email, for reflection ahead of and within the Policy and General Debates of the IMRF at the UNGA Wednesday through Friday, May 18 - 20.

The statement presents 4 invitations for joint action by States, civil society and Mayors to implement what NGO Committee members believe are key provisions of the Global Compact for Migration, and related commitments in the Progress Declaration that UN Member States have negotiated in recent weeks and will adopt at the closing session of the IMRF Friday afternoon

  • Read the one-page statement here

TAKE ACTION: Honor and Celebrate Refugees and Asylum Seekers on World Refugee Day
 

World Refugee Day is quickly approaching on 20 June 2022. It is important that we honor those forced from their homes to seek safety due to violence and persecution. This day recognizes their resilience, strength, and determination -- and our moral and legal imperative to fully restore refugee and asylum protections in the United States. 

Church World Service (CWS) is requesting your help in honoring and celebrating refugees and asylum seekers on World Refugee Day.

Now is the time to make your voices heard to tell your national, state, and local leaders to stand in solidarity with refugees and asylum seekers and to hold the administration accountable to re-establish bold U.S. leadership to invest in our capacity to welcome people fleeing violence and persecution. On World Refugee Day - and every day - we affirm the spirit of welcome that our communities show when we embrace our new neighbors as friends, colleagues, and peers.

 

Here are the top ways to take action: 

  1. Contact Your Members of Congress: Click here to urge your Members of Congress to protect refugees and cosponsor the World Refugee Day resolution.
  2. Contact your State and Local Lawmakers: Urge your state and local lawmakers to sign this letter calling on the President to meet his commitment to resettle refugees now and in fiscal year 2023.
  3. Amplify on Social Media: Click here to use social media graphics and sample posts. 

Here are additional resources: 

Thank you for taking action, and please share this action alert with your networks.

 



It Takes a Community: Contribute Your Stories
 

The NGO Committee on Migration's Subcommittee on Xenophobia, Racism and Social Inclusion is looking for positive migrant stories!

We aim to inspire dialogue and transformation through sharing positive narratives about migrants and their local communities. Together with with iTAC (It Takes a Community), a social media campaign of the Civil Society Mechanism of the Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD), we seek to highlight the transformative power of migrant contributions to individual growth and community development as migrants overcome xenophobia and racism and gain recognition and acceptance.

Reach out to your networks, gather these stories (you may be surprised yourselves by what they tell you!), and send them to ngomigrationstories@gmail.com

For more details, please click here.

 

20 June: UNHCR and the European Union Delegation to the UN. World Refugee Day, "Picasso Presents Gernika." 1:15pm-2:30pm (EDT). *Flyer *Register

20 June: World Refugee Day. This year, the focus will be on the right to seek safety. Save the date. *Info and activities will be updated here

27 June: Migration Policy Institute. "Forging Partnerships to Make the Reintegration of Migrants More Effective and Sustainable." 8:00am (EDT). *Details & Register

5 July: People's Migration Challenge. "PMC: Public IMRF Debrief." 9:00am-10:30am (EDT). *Save the date *Register

 

Event Recordings

Click here to access recordings of many of the side events and sessions of the International Migration Review Forum (IMRF).

 

CoM Resources


NGO Committee on Migration four-pager, entitled Priorities and Practices for Solutions in the SDGs, the Global Compact for Migration, and the International Migration Review Forum in 2022 and Beyond.



NGO Committee on Migration two-sider position paper addressing unified Priorities for the UN High-Level Political Forum 2021 (HLPF), advocated directly to 38 governments, the HLPF facilitators, and the President of the UN General Assembly


NGO Committee on Migration Report of a Survey on Migrant and Refugee Victims of Xenophobia, Racism and Intolerance in the Context of the Coronavirus Pandemic


NGO Committee on Migration infographic Debunking Myths to End Xenophobia (also available in French and Spanish)






 NGO Committee on Migration brochure on Climate-Induced Displacement





NGO Committee on Migration infographic booklet Children in Migration Matter





***Visit the CoM website for additional resources***

 


Reports and Policy Briefs
 

IOM. "Migration and the SDGs: Measuring Progress." *Website & PDF

Center for Migration Studies. IMRF summary, "International Migration Review Forum (IMRF) 2022: Implementation and the Road Ahead for the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration." *Website

Migration Policy Institute. "Humanitarian Pathways for Central Americans: Assessing Opportunities for the Future." *Website & PDF

Migration Policy Institute. "From Fear to Solidarity: The Difficulty in Shifting Public Narratives about Refugees." *PDF

Migration Policy Institute. "COVID-19 and the State of Global Mobility in 2021." *Website & PDF

Caritas France. "The Implementation of the Global Compact for Migration." *PDF in English, French, and Spanish

IOM. "The Migration Governance Indicators (MGI): A key tool for the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration implementation - Guidance Note." *Website & PDF


UNHCR. "Climate Change, Displacement and Human Rights." *PDF

IOM. "International Dialogue on Migration No.31: Accelerating integrated action on sustainable development: Migration, the environment and climate change." *Website & PDF

IOM. World Migration Report 2022. *Website
 

Renew Your CoM Membership! 

The membership renewal form for the September 2021-August 2022 term is available here. Please submit it with dues of $40 for this year to keep your organization in good standing!

Submit Your Member Profile!
Tell us how the CoM can best leverage your skills, passion, and expertise by submitting a Member Profile Form. Just one form is needed per organization, so if your NGO has not already submitted a form, please complete and send one to: ngomigrationcommittee@gmail.com as soon as possible.

Have notes or summaries from any migration-related events?
Send them to the Executive Committee or upload them directly to the "Events" folder of the CoM Work Hub!

Have a story of migration or work with migrants in the field?
Send them to the Executive Committee for consideration as an addition to the collection on our "Member and Migrant Voices" web page!


 

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