Background

In 2018, the Global Compact on Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM) and the Global Compact for Refugees (GCR) were adopted by the vast majority of UN Member States as guidance to address the main drivers and challenges of migration and forced displacement. Soon after that, bringing together 70 cities for the endorsement of the Marrakech Mayoral Declaration (MMD), the Mayoral Forum (Marrakesh, December 2018) highlighted cities’ commitments for implementing both the GCM and the GCR.

Local stakeholders – local governments and local actors - play an influential role in shaping protection responses, advancing social inclusion and integration of migrants and refugees. They are first responders and often responsible for meeting the immediate needs of newcomers, including through providing access to healthcare, education, housing and administrative services. Local actors need to be enabled for engagement with all local stakeholders and to put innovative solutions in place.

Many local governments are already taking concrete actions to protect and include migrants and refugees in local services, in partnership with regional and national authorities and stakeholders. However, others are struggling to do so and seek for appropriate guidance to protect and include migrants and refugees in their local policies and actions.

Event Objectives and Structures

This session is part of the 13^th Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD). It will focus on introducing successful practices, lessons learned and planning strategies from local-level actors that have implemented “whole-of-society” and cross-sectoral approaches for improved responses.

The session will also officially introduce a recently launched guidance document on “Local Inclusion of Migrants and Refugees: A Gateway to Existing Ideas, Resources and Capacities for Cities Across the World”. The guidance document was developed by CMI, OECD, GMFD Mayors Mechanism, UN-Habitat, UNICEF, UNCTAD, UNESCO, and WHO. Through thematic chapters spamming from migrants’ inclusion in local health services, to protection of migrant children, to inclusion of refugees in Local Economic Development (LED) approaches, it wishes to foster coordination across different sectors, creating enabling environment for all and advancing inclusive governance structures.

Following the GFMD objectives, the event is aligned with the need to include local authorities in global processes and fostering partnerships, in an effort to strengthen cities’ inclusion in advancing the Social Development Goals (SDGs) and implementing the recommendations of the Global Compacts for Migration and for Refugees.

The session will include an opening keynote by the Center for Mediterranean Integration (CMI), a panel discussion with representatives of local authorities from Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East, and a closing by the World Health Organization (WHO). The event will be moderated by UN-Habitat, who will also present the new Guidance Document.

Participation

Participation to this event is open.

Please click here to connect to the event: https://zoom.us/j/94717390283

Please also register to the full GFMD: https://gfmduae.org/

Resources

Agenda (Coming Soon)

The report [EN]

Flyer [EN]