As world leaders met at the United Nations on Wednesday to discuss the first global agreement designed to better manage international migration, a leading voice on migrants’ rights urged them to “do the hard work” of turning words into action.

The Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, set to be formally adopted in December in Marrakech, Morocco, comprises 23 objectives covering all aspects of migration, including enhancing availability of legal pathways, promoting ethical labour standards, com

The text of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, was finalized today.

Family planning was affirmed to be a human right 50 years ago, leading to what would become the annual observation of World Population Day, which focuses attention on the impact the number of children born, has on the world.

In her message for the Day, UN Population Fund (UNFPA) Executive Director Natalia Kanem took that a step further, saying: “Family planning is not only a matter of human right

Not only are remittances a “critical lifeline” for millions globally, the direct benefits of money sent home by migrant workers touch the lives of one in every seven persons on the planet – over one billion people, the United Nations rural development agency has said.

Remittances are vital for millions of families, helping them to address their own development goals, but we can help them do more and build their longer-term future,” said Gilbert Houngbo, the President of the International Fund for Ag

The UN General Assembly on Tuesday unanimously proclaimed 16 June as the International Day of Family Remittances. The new observance will celebrate the vital contributions of migrants and their families to sustainable development.

In 2017, migrant workers sent an estimated $613 billion to their families back home of which $466 billion went to developing countries. Family remittances are a vital source of income for millions of migrant families across the world.

Today, 55% of the world’s population lives in urban areas, a proportion that is expected to increase to 68% by 2050.

By 2050, two out of every three people are likely to be living in cities or other urban centres, according to a new United Nations report, highlighting the need for more sustainable urban planning and public services.

Owing to both demographic shifts and overall population growth, that means that around 2.5 billion people could be added to urban areas by the middle of the century, predicts the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA).

Most of the increase is expected to

“Migrants are needed in virtually all job markets; they bring skills and they help economies flourish. Although migrants represent just slightly over 3 per cent of the global population, they contributed 9 per cent of global GDP in 2015,” said Louise Arbour, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative on International Migration, in her message to the Global Forum on Remittances, Investment and Development, that kicked off in Kuala Lumpur on 8 May.

Indeed, the contribution of international migration is significant.

“I’m the CEO of 734 and I hire people who need jobs,” said Manyang Reath Kher, winning a burst of applause from the room. A Sudanese refugee, Mr. Kher came to the United States at age 17 and launched the successful coffee brand called 734.

The world is on the move, and today an estimated 258 million international migrants are living outside their country of birth. While global population movements grab headlines, a quiet revolution tiptoes in the background, dramatically changing our world – the great migration of humanity into cities. From just 746 million in 1950, the world’s urban population has ballooned to over 4 billion today.