First UN Forum on International Migration wraps up today – Reuters

New York – Member States, representatives of stakeholders and the United Nations (UN) system gathered for the first International Migration Review Forum (IMRF) at UN Headquarters in New York this week. The resulting IMRF Statement of Progress provides states and all partners with a common way forward on migration governance.

“While finalizing the statement of progress is an important milestone for multilateral engagement on migration, we have an obligation to bring this text to life. To act in accordance with its provisions and realize their concrete benefits,” said Abdulla Shahid, President of the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly and Chair of the International Migration Review Forum.

Organized from 17 to 20 May, the Forum was the first opportunity to celebrate the successes and reflect on the challenges encountered in the implementation of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM) since its adoption in 2018. on the eve of the Forum, on 16 May, an informal hearing with stakeholders took place, which fed into the subsequent discussions, as well as the contributions collected during the consultations held at local, national and regional levels over the past year.

“The central vision of the Global Compact is based on the recognition of the reality of migration, without judgement, based on facts. It is a vision that believes that migrants should not be feared, but rather celebrated as essential members of rich and thriving societies,” said António Vitorino, Director General of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and coordinator of the United Nations Network on Migration. , which provides effective and coherent system-wide support for the implementation of the Global Compact, including supporting the organization of the Forum.

“During this first global review of the Compact, we took stock of how far we have come and what we still have to do. While we have much to be proud of, any pride is tempered by the fact that we continue to bear witness to what the lack of progress means to the lives of so many.

This first IMRF is an important step on the way to realizing the vision of the GCM and realizing the ongoing commitments with the support of the United Nations system. The number of pledges made this week, coupled with the soon-to-be-adopted statement of progress, is one more step towards changing the lives of the world’s 281 million migrants.

Since the launch of its pledge initiative in December 2021, the UN Network on Migration has received 158 pledges, with more than 100 pledges made by 25 Member States. Several states pledged additional funding to the Multi-Partner Trust Fund for Migration while others pledged to undertake policy and legal work on migration, for example to end immigration detention of children or to address effects of climate change. The UN system, five different UN regional and national networks on migration, ILO, IOM, OHCHR and UNDP also made a joint commitment, while the Inter-Agency Standing Committee, made up of 16 agencies of the United Nations and NGOs, also promised support for migrants affected by the crises. Contributions received are displayed on the contribution initiative dashboard.

Access the draft progress statement here.

The Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration

Adopted in Marrakech in 2018, the Global Compact on Migration was born from the realization that no government alone can effectively manage migration. This goes for unlocking the potential of global mobility, as well as protecting people from harm. Through the Global Compact, states have created a blueprint for a comprehensive, rights-based migration policy and established 23 goals covering all facets of migration. Although the guiding principles, goals and actions of the Global Compact are not legally binding, they are based on recognized commitments and values ​​embodied in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and international law. The Global Compact on Migration is the first negotiated intergovernmental agreement on migration in all its aspects. The next International Migration Review Forum will take place in 2026

For more information or media requests, please visit the International Migration Review Forum website or contact Florence Kim of the UN Migration Network:

Phone/WhatsApp/Signal: +41 79 748 0395 Email: fkim@iom.int