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People's Migration Challenge: Impact of Climate Change on Migration
 Save the date and register for the People’s Migration Challenge (PMC) John Kennedy Bingham Memorial Series, Episode 5: "Impact of Climate Change on Migration." This episode will focus on campaigns that look at the impact of climate change on mobility, community, labour, and working conditions in the context of migration. It will be held on Tuesday, 28 March, from 9:00am-10:30am (ET), and interpretation will be available in Arabic, English, French, and Spanish.
Click here to register.
UNNM Statement on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
To mark this year’s International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (21 March), the United Nations Network on Migration called on Member States to step up efforts to combat racism and racial discrimination in the context of migration governance.
Racism, xenophobia and intersecting forms of discrimination have harmful consequences for migrants and diasporas, who may already find themselves in precarious situations, particularly migrant women and girls, and have profound effects on communities.
Racial discrimination of migrants can manifest itself in violations of migrants’ human rights, including in the lack of access to basic services such as health, education, and justice, or discrimination in employment resulting in occupational segregation of migrant workers and lower remuneration received for work of equal value.
Ending racial discrimination is key to implementing the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM). Recalling the body of international human rights law, including international labour standards, the Network reaffirms that human rights, equality and non-discrimination are a cornerstone of the GCM and must be reflected in migration policies and practices at all levels.
In the Progress Declaration of the Global Compact’s first International Migration Review Forum adopted in May 2022, Member States, as primary duty bearers in guaranteeing human rights for all, took a stand against systemic racism, racial discrimination and xenophobia, and reiterated their commitment to eliminating all forms of discrimination targeting migrants. They also pledged to take action against harmful stereotyping, hate speech and hate crime, as well as misleading narratives that generate negative perceptions of migrants. They reiterated the need to respect, protect and fulfil the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all migrants, regardless of their status, recognizing their role as agents of sustainable development and as rights holders.
These commitments must be turned into reality. Click here to read the full statement and the actions UNNM is calling on UN Member states to implement in regard to eliminating racial discrimination.
Abuja Civil Society Forum
 In view of the 2023 Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) process, African civil society and diaspora joined forces to build momentum around the GFMD and to foster greater engagement of Africa and Africans in migration processes. The Abuja Civil Society Forum was held in Abuja, Nigeria, from 30 January to 1 February 2023.
The Abuja Civil Society Forum was a joint initiative led by African civil society and diaspora networks (AFFORD, ECDPM, GRFDT, ITUC-Africa, PANiDMR), with the support of the GFMD Civil Society Mechanism secretariat. It was hosted by the Pan-African Network in Defense of Migrant’s Rights (PANiDMR) and its Nigerian member, the Civil Society Network on Migration and Development (CSOnetMADE).
The Forum brought together civil society representatives from all regions of Africa, diverse diaspora participants, trade unions, and youth representatives (through the Migration Youth and Children Platform), as well as representatives of the GFMD Business and Mayors Mechanisms, government representatives including from the French GFMD Chair, and international and continental migration agencies.
One of the primary aims of the Abuja Forum was to develop capacity of African civil society and to comprehensively discuss global and African migration frameworks. The Forum was also dedicated to the launch of the 2023 GFMD civil society process, which will lead to the 14th GFMD Summit in Paris next year.
Click here to access the Abuja Forum's Key Takeaways.
The Abuja Statement
The Abuja Statement was the result of these discussions held between African civil society and diaspora at the Forum: a forward-looking and action-oriented statement, providing recommendations on three GFMD priority areas: climate change, labour migration and the diaspora.
Going beyond the GFMD thematic priorities, it also encompasses a fourth section on important aspects hindering the effective engagement of African civil society in migration processes, such as issues of "limited financial support and shrinking space for engagement from the international community."
Click on the following links to read the Abuja Statement in English and French, and click here to read the spotlight article on the Abuja Statement.
Next Steps
The Abuja Forum kicks off the global civil society process for the GFMD and begins our collective “Road from Abuja to Paris”. The GFMD Civil Society Mechanism is (co)organising a yearlong series of civil society preparatory meetings, consultations and discussions at thematic, regional and global levels, to build civil society’s collective thinking and inputs into the GFMD’s thematic priorities, as well as highlight other priorities we think are critical for this GFMD’s discussions.
Representatives from the Abuja Forum will continue to play a key role to bring the outcomes of this forum to share and dialogue on them with civil society representatives from other regions along this journey together.
NGO CoM Blog: Xenophobia, Racism, and the GCM
 "Countries that are diligently changing national laws are often not able to press for a consistent regulatory environment at the local level with sufficient outreach and training to encourage change. While we press for national awareness, real change hinges on on-the-ground, local level interventions to remedy the GCM implementation gaps.
The lessons learned from frontline realities in the war in Ukraine have been stark: it is clearly easier for societies to absorb similar-looking people, and the deep-seated fear of the 'other' comes out strongly during uncertainties, regardless of the rule of law."
This blog, composed by the Subcommittee on Xenophobia, Racism, and Social Inclusion of the NGO Committee on Migration and featured in UNNM's recent newsletter, identifies gaps and offers solutions to address instances of discrimination in migration management.
Call to Action: Endorse NGO Committee on Migration's appeal to stop stealing children's lives
 Child labor steals childhood, adolescence, and futures of millions of children and young people worldwide, including those in migration. It is an intolerable form of abuse and violation of their human rights.
The NGO Committee on Migration invites Member States, International Organizations, and NGOs to sign this appeal which will be directed as a call to action to all UN Member States in an effort to raise alarm and rally collaboration to put an immediate end to all forms of child labor.
The signed appeal can be used to support and create local advocacy initiatives to combat child labor.
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