International migration is a global phenomenon that is growing in scope, complexity and impact. Today, virtually all countries in the world are simultaneously countries of destination, origin and transit for international migrants. Traditional migration patterns are complemented by new migratory flows, fueled by changing economic, demographic, political and social realities. Changing migration patterns affect the size and composition of migrant populations as well as host and origin economies and societies. The rise in global mobility, the growing complexity of migratory patterns and the impact of population movements have contributed to international migration becoming a priority for the international community.
The Population Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs is organizing a one-day expert symposium on international migration and development, to be held at United Nations Headquarters in New York on Tuesday, 26 February 2019. The symposium is being convened in lieu of the annual coordination meeting on international migration, which has been organized by the Population Division since 2001.
The purpose of the expert symposium is to: (a) highlight opportunities for addressing issues related to migration and development in the high-level political forum on sustainable development to be held in July and September 2019, (b) discuss ways and means of improving the collection and use of migration data in the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, and (c) present and share information on recent initiatives on international migration and development.
Objectives of the meeting
The Population Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs is organizing a one-day expert symposium on international migration and development, to be held at United Nations Headquarters in New York on Tuesday, 26 February 2019. The symposium is being convened in lieu of the annual coordination meeting on international migration, which has been organized by the Population Division since 2001. The symposium will be held immediately prior to, and in preparation for, the high-level debate on international migration and development to be convened by the President of the General Assembly on Wednesday, 27 February 2019 in response to draft resolution A/C.2/73/L.46, adopted in December 2018.
The expert symposium is being planned in close coordination with the Office of the President of the General Assembly and with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and other members of the United Nations Network on Migration. On 28 February 2019, IOM will convene the International Dialogue on Migration in New York, focusing on issues of migration and youth.
The purpose of the expert symposium is to: (a) highlight opportunities for addressing issues related to migration and development in the high-level political forum on sustainable development to be held in July and September 2019, (b) discuss ways and means of improving the collection and use of migration data in the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, and (c) present and share information on recent initiatives on international migration and development.
Participants will be invited to discuss progress and challenges affecting achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and targets relevant to migration, as well as implementation of objective 1 of the Global Compact on collecting and utilizing accurate and disaggregated data for evidence-based policies.
By bringing together experts on international migration from the United Nations system, other intergovernmental organizations, national governments, civil society, academia and the private sector, the expert symposium will provide an opportunity to advance the global discussion and to share practical information about ongoing and anticipated activities in the area of international migration and development.
Agenda
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Opening of the meeting | |
I. | Interactive panel on migration and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development |
II. | Interactive panel on migration-related issues and the 2019 High-level Political Forum |
III. | Improving the evidence base on migration in the context of the 2030 Agenda |
IV. | Tour-de-table |
Closing of the meeting |
Organization of work
Tuesday, 26 February 2019 |
Morning session (10:00-13:00)
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Opening of the meeting | |
Opening remarks by Kwabena Osei-Danquah, (on behalf of María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés President of the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly)
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I. | Interactive panel on migration and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development |
Chair: Alicia Bárcena Ibarra, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) | |
Panel:
- António Manuel de Carvalho Ferreira Vitorino, Director General, International Organization for Migration (IOM) - Santiago Javier Chavez Pareja, Vice Minister for Human Mobility of Ecuador, designated Chair of the GFMD 2019 - Felipe González Morales, UN Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of Migrants - Richard Blewitt, Head of Delegation and Permanent Representative to the United Nations, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) |
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II. | Interactive panel on migration-related issues and the 2019 High-level Political Forum |
Chair: François Héran, Collège de France | |
Panel:
- Marion Barthelemy, Office of Intergovernmental Support and Coordination for Sustainable Development, UN DESA - Owen Shumba, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) - Michelle Leighton, International Labour Organization (ILO) - Michele LeVoy, Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants (PICUM) |
III. | Improving the evidence base on migration in the context of the 2030 Agenda |
Chair: Ann Singleton, University of Bristol, School for Policy Studies | |
Overview of the evidence for monitoring the migration-related SDGs targets
Yongyi Min, Statistics Division, UN DESA |
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Research and data for informed migration policies
Ellen Kraly, Colgate University |
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Disaggregated data by migratory status: Challenges and opportunities
Karima Belhaj, Demographic Studies and Research Centre, High Commission for Planning, Morocco |
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Availability and use of data on the effects and benefits of migration, including contributions of migrants and diaspora
Jean-Christophe Dumont, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) |
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New approaches and the priorities for capacity building
Rachel Snow, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) |
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IV. | Tour-de-table |
Chair: Jonathan Prentice, UN Network on Migration | |
Brief presentations on recent or upcoming activities on migration and development | |
Closing of the meeting | |
John Wilmoth, Population Division, UN DESA |
Contributed papers
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Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
UN/POP/MIG-1ES/2019/1 -
United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP)
UN/POP/MIG-1ES/2019/2 -
United Nations Human Settlement Programme (UN-Habitat)
UN/POP/MIG-1ES/2019/3 -
United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA)
UN/POP/MIG-1ES/2019/4 -
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
UN/POP/MIG-1ES/2019/5 -
Talent Beyond Boundaries (TBB)
UN/POP/MIG-1ES/2019/6 -
United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC)
UN/POP/MIG-1ES/2019/7 -
United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
UN/POP/MIG-1ES/2019/8 -
United Nations University (UNU)
UN/POP/MIG-1ES/2019/9 -
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
UN/POP/MIG-1ES/2019/10 -
International Labour Organization (ILO)
UN/POP/MIG-1ES/2019/11 -
World Health Organization (WHO)
UN/POP/MIG-1ES/2019/12
Side events
15 February 2018
1:15 - 2:30pm
Meet-the-author Ellen Percy Kray. Demography of Refugee and Forced Migration (Springer)
Organizer: United Nations Bookshop
Location: United Nations Bookshop, GA Building, Visitors’ Concourse
16 February 2018
8:00 - 9:30am
Launch of Call to Action: Protecting children on the move starts with better data
Organizer: UNICEF/ Permanent Mission of Germany to the United Nations
Location: Permanent Mission of Germany to the United Nations, 871 United Nations Plaza, New York, NY 10017
Note: Breakfast will be served. Please RSVP here by Thursday, February 15th, 2018 (mandatory for participation)
16 February 2018
1:15 - 2:30pm
Organizer: UN DESA/UNITAR
Location: UNCA 310
Background documents
- New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants (A/RES/71/1)
- Making migration work for development. Report of the Secretary-General (A72/643)
General
- Global compact for safe, orderly and regular migration. Zero draft. 5 February 2018
- Thematic Recollection 2007 – 2017. GFMD contribution to the GCM EN | FR | ES
- Ten acts for the global compact. A civil society vision for a transformative agenda for human mobility, migration and development
Session I. The global compact for safe, orderly and regular migration: An overview
- Lessons for the GCM Based on Existing International Mechanisms for Follow-up and Review. Columbia Global Policy Initiative & the University of Ottawa’s Refugee Hub
- Global Compact on Safe, Orderly & Regular Migration. Draft Discussion Paper on Compact Goals and Priorities. Columbia Global Policy Initiative & the University of Ottawa’s Refugee Hub
Session II. The global migration compact: Review and follow-up
- Migration as a form of development. UN DESA/Population Division. Technical Paper No. 2017/8
Session III. International migration: A tool for global development?
- Recommendations from the International Union for the Scientific Study of Population
- Improving data for safe, orderly and regular migration. UN DESA/IOM/OECD
Session IV. Implementing the NY Declaration: Strengthening data, research and training
- Tier Classification for Global SDG Indicators, 15 December 2017
- United Nations Expert Group Meeting on Improving Migration Data in the Context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. United Nations, New York, 20 to 22 June 2017
- Hand-out
- Contribution on remittances from the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF)