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By Md. Shahidul Haque, Foreign Secretary of Bangladesh and Chair-in-Office of the GFMD 2016
DHAKA – We live in a rapidly evolving, hyper-connected world, where goods, capital, and people are more mobile than ever before. But, whereas countries have shown a willingness to cooperate on exchanging goods and capital, the international community has shown little appetite for improving how it governs human mobility.
After the wide-scale persecution and displacement of people in World War II, world leaders took the bold step of crafting the 1951 Refugee Convention. In doing so, they relinquished a measure of national sovereignty – by accepting the principle of non-refoulement – in order to promote global solidarity toward refugees.
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The New York Declaration that followed the 19th September Summit was an important milestone in the future of governance of international migration, in a context marked by mixed flows of movements, an unprecedented scale of large movement refugees and migrants, dramatic images and fear-driven rhetoric. How can member states design a Global Compact to facilitate mobility which will be both deliverable and balanced? What are the possible commitments by the different stakeholders to create a comprehensive global framework and follow-up mechanism? Moreover, how can the GFMD, as an informal space guaranteeing exchange of ideas and among other inter-governmental process, engage actively in the construction and the definition of the Compact?
These were the guiding questions addressed before a crowded audience attending the GFMD Dialogue on the Global Migration Compact, hosted by the Government of Bangladesh, GFMD 2016 Chair, at the UN Headquarters in New York on November 14 2016. High level speakers and panelists shared their perspectives in an informal and thought-provoking setting and offered many useful insights, with the objectives of fueling with ideas the process of developing the Global Compact. The full day event focused on the social, economic and legal aspects of the Global Compact.
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On 20 and 21 October, the final Preparatory Meetings of the Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) under the Bangladesh Chairmanship were held in Geneva, led by H.E. Ambassador Shahidul Haque, Foreign Secretary of Bangladesh. These meetings were aimed at....
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The Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, in its capacity as Chair of the Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) 2016, has extended the invitation to all States that are Members and Observers of the United Nations, and other GFMD Observers to the Ninth GFMD Summit Meeting to be held on 10-12 December 2016 in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Her Excellency, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, will open the Ninth GFMD Summit on 10 December in the presence of high-level officials. After the inauguration ceremony, the GFMD 2016 Common Space -- for governments, international organizations, civil society, private sector and other non-state partners – will follow. This will serve as the principal occasion for interaction between the Governments and global Civil Society and other relevant stakeholders.
Intensive Roundtable discussions and the special sessions on the GFMD Platform for Partnerships and the Future of the Forum will take place on 11-12 December. A report on the outcomes of these sessions will be made during the closing ceremony on 12 December. (See full agenda here.)
All official delegations are strongly encouraged to register online here. For any question(s), write to the GFMD Support Unit at registration@gfmd.org.
For interested media, a formal accreditation process is required here.
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On the road to international migration governance
In accordance with the work plan of the 2016 Chair-in-Office of the Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD), the third and final thematic workshop on “Migration for Peace, Stability and Growth” was held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on July 19, at the margins of the fourth High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF).
In the heatwave so particular for the Big Apple in this season, over a hundred delegates filled the meeting room in order to explore the mutually reinforcing links between migration and peace, stability, growth, and security. An important appeal was made for a comprehensive and coherent policy at all levels and improved governance of international migration. There was a resounding call to create a new narrative that emphasizes the positive aspects of migrants and migration. Member states and non-government participants also recognized the need for a collective and shared responsibility, noting the failure of unilateral actions in many parts of the world. Finally, the workshop fostered a fruitful exchange of policy views and experiences between participants and reaffirmed the crucial role of the GFMD as an effective mechanism for informal debate and international dialogue and, more importantly, its potential to play an important role in redefining the governance of international migration.
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2nd Preparatory Meetings in Geneva (17-19 May 2016)
There was a generally engaging tone when policy makers and diplomats from member states, prominent speakers and representatives from international organizations and from the civil society gathered for the 2nd round of preparatory meetings of the Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) 2016 in Geneva on May 17-19. In a period marked by pressing migrants and refugees’ issues, the Bangladesh GFMD Chair convened a series of meetings to bring member states up to speed with the latest developments and upcoming migration-related events, particularly the 9th GFMD Summit to be held in Dhaka on 10-12 December 2016.
Call for a Global Compact on Migration
Ambassador Shahidul Haque, Foreign Secretary of Bangladesh and GFMD 2016 Chair, led the successive discussions of the GFMD Troika (comprised of past GFMD Chair Turkey and incoming 2017-2018 Chairs Morocco and Germany), the Steering Group and the Friends of the Forum on May 17. Read more
Thematic Workshop on Migration for Harmonious Societies
On 18 May, Ambassador Shameem Ahsan, Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the UNOG, opened the 2nd GFMD 2016 Thematic Workshop on “Migration for Harmonious Societies” by asking the question: “Is diversity meaning lack of harmony or cohesion in the society, or is it the seed that can germinate into harmony and contribute to creativity and thereby, enhance development?” Read more
Roundtable Preparatory Meetings - A foretaste of Dhaka
The three-day marathon of meetings continued with the preparatory meetings of the six GFMD 2016 government-led Roundtable sessions on May 19. These 6 RT sessions are focused on topics that evoke the increasing difficulties affecting migrants and the challenges to governments and other migration and development actors: namely, reducing the cost of migration; connectivity and migration; migration, diversity and harmonious societies; protection of migrants in all situations; migrants in situation of crises; governance of migration. Read more
GFMD-CMW Side Event on Migrants
The day ended with the joint GFMD-GMG Side Event on Migrants, a panel discussion on the rights and welfare of migrants, challenges faced by women and children in the context of international migration, labour exploitation, and the importance of the international normative human rights framework. In his opening address, Ambassador Jose Brillantes, Chair of the CMW highlighted the relevance and importance of the Convention of the Protection of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families and insisted on the need of a wider ratification. Read more
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On 4 February, Ambassador Md. Shahidul Haque, Foreign Secretary of Bangladesh, GFMD 2016 Chair-in- Office, led the first meeting of the Friends of the Forum (FOF) in Geneva, in preparation for the 9th GFMD Summit to be held in Dhaka on 10-12 December 2016. As 2016 marks the first year after the adoption of the Agenda, the Bangladesh GFMD Chairmanship will be organized under the overarching theme “Migration that works for Sustainable Development of All: Towards a Transformative Migration Agenda.”
Ambassador Haque called upon Member States to join efforts towards developing a transformative migration agenda while ensuring the achievement of migration-related goals and targets of the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development.
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On 21-22 January, the Bangladesh Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), led by H.E., Ambassador Shahidul Haque, kicked off the 2016 Chairmanship of the Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) by organizing different consultations with main stakeholders and organizing a public seminar on migration and development in Dhaka.
Mr. Peter Sutherland, UN Secretary General’s Special Representative for International Migration (SRSG), was guest of honor during a joint Ministerial breakfast meeting on 21 January with Hon. Foreign Minister, Mr. Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali, M.P., and Hon. Minister for Expatriate’s Welfare & Overseas Employment, Mr. Nurul Islam, BSc. Also present during this meeting were Ambassador Eva Akerman-Borje, GFMD 2013-2014 Chair, Mr. John Bingham, Programme Director of ICMC, coordinating office of the GFMD civil society days, and officials from several donor governments.
Ambassador Haque and the Bangladesh GFMD Team met extensively with the SRSG, the GFMD 2013-2014 Chair and the ICMC to share experiences from previous GFMD meetings and to have informal discussions on the proposed concept paper and work program of the Bangladesh GFMD Chair. 2016. This was followed by a brief interaction with the Bangladesh Civil Society and business.
On 22 January, the MFA, in collaboration with the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS), organized a public seminar on “Migration and Development: Challenges and Perspectives” in Dhaka, to kick off the Bangladesh Chairmanship of the Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) in 2016.
Moderated by the Bangladesh Foreign Secretary, Ambassador Shahidul Haque, the seminar gathered some 200 participants from governments, international organizations, civil society and private sector. Eminent persons from the field of migration and development were invited, including Sir Peter Sutherland, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General (SRSG) on International Migration; Mr. John Bingham, Civil Society Coordinator of the GFMD; and Ambassador Eva Akerman Borje, Swedish Chair of the GFMD 2013-2014, to share their perspectives.
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On 16 October, Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Naci Koru led the concluding session of the 8th GFMD Summit Meeting which took place in Istanbul from 14 to 16 October 2015, in the presence of Ambassador Mehmet Samsar, Turkish MFA Director General for Consular Affairs, Mr. Shahidul Haque, Foreign Secretary of Bangladesh, incoming GFMD 2016 Chair, and Mr. Peter Sutherland, Special Representative of the UN Secretary General for International Migration.
Around 600 delegates from 150 countries and 30 international organizations witnessed the concluding plenary session of the 8th GFMD Summit, which began with the Reports on the outcomes of the Roundtable discussions, the special session on the Future of the Forum, and the special session on the Platform for Partnerships. Thereafter, Ambassador Samsar delivered the initial conclusions of the Turkish GFMD Chairmanship, followed by the statement of the incoming GFMD 2016 Chair-in-Office Bangladesh, as delivered by Foreign Secretary Haque.
In his closing remarks, Deputy Foreign Minister urged the Global Forum not to forget, in the face of international migration crisis, that migration is generally a positive thing – it has tremendous potential to promote development in origin and host countries, through trade, investment, cultural exchange and powerful new networks of knowledge. But this potential, he underlined, can only be realized by “strengthening partnerships” to make sure that human mobility contributes to sustainable development, as embodied in the overarching theme of the Turkish GFMD Chairmanship.