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Thematic Working Groups

As per the GFMD Operating Modalities, thematic follow-up working groups (WGs) may be established by the Steering Group. These groups aim to take forward policy insights and recommendations derived from GFMD discussions between Summit Meetings.

The WGs consult with the GFMD Troika and the GFMD Steering Group to ensure that the WG activities are in line with the priorities of the Chair in office and the overall focus of the Forum. 

Membership of WGs is on voluntary basis, regionally balanced and open to State and non-state partners, including the GFMD mechanisms and international organizations.
 

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Current GFMD Working Groups

To respond to current and emerging events, and in line with the thematic priorities of the GFMD Chair-in-Office, there are currently two active GFMD Working Groups :

Sustainable Development and International Migration Public Narratives on Migration

Previous GFMD Working Groups

  • Ad hoc Working Group on the Impacts of Covid-19 on Migrants, Migration and Development (2020-2022). The WG was set up in spring 2020, when the Covid-19 pandemic was hitting communities around the globe with full force. The WG brought together a multi-stakeholder community of states, local governments, businesses and civil society groups to share experiences and lessons learned with regards to the impact of Covid-19 on migrants, migration and development. During the Summit of the UAE in 2021, it presented a paper to show paths to strengthen multi-stakeholder dialogues in tackling Covid-19.
  • Working Group on 2030 Agenda and the GCM (2016-2019). The WG was created, according to the WG’s Terms of Reference in order to consider the best ways for the GFMD to support the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and to contribute to the follow-up and review process. In addition to the Report produced at the end of 2016, this working group produced concrete and significant outcomes, specifically the GFMD Recommendations to the HLPF in 2017 and 2018 and the “Thematic Recollection 2007-2017”. In 2019, the WG was renamed as the “Working Group on Sustainable Development and International Migration.”
  • Ad hoc Working Group on Communications (2015-2018). Recognizing that a sound communication strategy is of vital importance for an intergovernmental body like the GFMD, the objective of this WG, as per the WG’s Terms of Reference, was to assess the GFMD’s communication needs and the feasibility of adopting new ways for effective communication. After conducting a survey of the Forum’s communication needs, the WG presented its Report at the 2016 Dhaka Summit with short to long term recommendations on how to enhance GFMD communications. Most of the immediate recommendations have been implemented, and a GFMD communications strategy, completed in 2018, now serves as the basis of the GFMD communications plan.
  • Ad hoc Working Group on Protection and Empowerment of Migrants and the Ad hoc Working Group Policy Coherence, Data and Research (2008 – 2013). These two WGs were created with an aim to link GFMD recommendations to existing and forthcoming thematic priorities, and to encourage pilot activities.

GFMD ad hoc Working Group on Public Narratives on Migration

Public perceptions of migration have become highly polarized and influenced by misinformation globally. The spread of inaccurate narratives can negatively impact both migrants and host communities. Governments, local authorities, civil society and businesses have an opportunity to combat mis and disinformation by promoting balanced and evidence-based public narratives on migration. Public discourse can significantly affect social cohesion, support for diversity, economic growth and innovation.

The GFMD Ad Hoc Working Group on Public Narratives on Migration was established in February 2020 to create a strong partnership among GFMD stakeholders in pursuing this common goal. Upon proposal of the Government of Canada, the GFMD Steering Group unanimously endorsed the Working Group's creation.

Recognizing the crucial role of cities and local communities in shaping accurate migration narratives and in fostering social inclusion and migrant integration, the Steering Group also approved, for the first time, the inclusion of the Mayors Mechanism as a Co-Chair of a GFMD Working Group alongside governments. The practice of inviting a GFMD mechanism to co-chair along with governments was then extended to other GFMD working groups, including the Working Group on Sustainable Development and International Migration; and the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Impact of Covid 19 on migrants and migration. 

The mandate of this Working Group revolves around three objectives:

  1. enhance the capacity of WG members and the broader GFMD community on the topic of migration narratives; 
  2. foster the creation of partnerships and joint activities that can contribute to shifting the narrative on migration; 
  3. provide recommendations on the topic of migration narratives for the GFMD’s contribution to the implementation, review and follow up of the 2030 Agenda and the GCM.
     

Membership

  • Co-Chairs:  Canada, Ecuador and GFMD Mayors Mechanism
  • Member States:  Algeria, Bangladesh, Canada, Ecuador, Ireland, Mexico, Morocco, The Gambia
  • Members representing the local perspective:  City of Johannesburg, City of Mechelen, City of Montreal, City of Sao Paulo, Welcoming International, the GFMD Mayors Mechanism
  • Members representing civil society: Oxfam, UNMGCY, ICMC/Coordinator of Civil Society Coordinating Office
  • Members representing the private sector: Talent Beyond Boundaries, ERC Worldwide, IOE/Coordinator of the GFMD Business Mechanism
  • International Organizations:  IOM, ICMPD, OHCHR and the European Union (DG Home)

Links

Contact 
The Working Group is currently Co-Chaired by Canada, Ecuador and the GFMD Mayors Mechanism. The Co-Chairs can be contacted at: wg_narratives@gfmd.org.

GFMD Summits

The GFMD dialogue culminates in the organization of Summits. The Forum has hosted Summits on a regular basis since its establishment in 2007. The rotating GFMD Chair in office proposes the themes to be discussed within the Forum for the duration of its term. Topics are chosen through a broad consultative process with other Member States and stakeholders. This approach ensures that the dialogue on migration and development can evolve flexibly over time based on Member States priorities, maintaining the engagement of stakeholders and bringing expertise from State and non-State actors. Each Chair brings its own distinctive and innovative elements to the dialogue within the Forum. The Forum is organized around a set of key activities:

The Summit preparatory process

The preparatory process includes meetings and consultations in the lead up to the final Summit, such as preparatory meetings of the GFMD supporting structures (Troika, Steering Group, Friends of the Forum), Roundtable Team Consultations and Thematic Workshops (optional). 

Preparatory meetings help set the agenda and engage states and observers around the thematic priorities at the centre of the program. Roundtable Team Consultations allow governments and other stakeholders to exchange views on the thematic priorities building the dialogue in preparation of the Summit, capturing the scope of the discussions in background papers with the aim of getting to the Summit with a solid basis for a constructive dialogue. In 2024, under the Colombia GFMD Chair, new modalities to refresh the dialogue space and create more opportunities for interaction within it are being considered. 

Thematic Workshops may be organized in addition to preparatory meetings and roundtable consultations to offer additional opportunities for in-depth discussions and/or promote regional engagement on the topics at the centre of the debate. Thematic workshops may be hosted by GFMD observers in partnership with the Chair.
 

GFMD Summit 

The GFMD Summit is usually hosted by the Chair in their home country. However, during the Chair of France the 14th GFMD Summit (2024) took place in Geneva. 

GFMD Summits are inter-governmental dialogues among all UN Member States and GFMD Observers. Participants include high-level policy makers, technical experts and practitioners who engage in informal discussions on topics at the core of the migration debate with the aim of articulating the multiple and significant connections between migration and development across a broad variety of policy areas.

Over the years, the GFMD Summits have also expanded to provide opportunities for multi- stakeholder participation, including civil society, private sector, mayors, local/regional governments, youth and academia. This inclusive approach ensures a dynamic dialogue and the exchange of multiple perspectives on contemporary migration debates with a 360 degree approach. 
 

The GFMD Secretariat

A permanent Secretariat for the Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) was established in January 2023 with the aim to provide logistical and administrative support to the Forum. Hosted by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Geneva, the Secretariat assists the GFMD Chair-in-Office, Troika and Steering Group with the organization of meetings and high-level Summits and ensures liaison and information flow among the GFMD stakeholders and Friends of the Forum. The Secretariat also assists the Chair in financial management and fundraising and is responsible for GFMD communications and data management.

The GFMD was serviced by a dedicated Support Unit from 2008 to 2021.

Resources:

Friends of the Forum

The Friends of the Forum (FOF) is open to all Member States and GFMD Observers, which include some UN observers, specialized UN agencies, international organizations, regional consultative processes and select non-government stakeholders (see a list of GFMD Observers).

The FOF ensures all members and observers are informed of Forum-related developments, advises on the programme and discusses issues of substance.

Participation in the FOF is guided by the defining principles of the Global Forum on Migration and Development – voluntary participation, informality and state-led nature of the process. FoF members  designate contacts that form a part of the GFMD Focal Points Network.

For more information see:

The GFMD Friends of the Forum – Terms of Reference

The GFMD and the private sector

After an initial phase of exploration in 2012, the foundation for private sector engagement in the GFMD was laid during the Swedish (2013-2014) and Turkish (2014-2015) terms and in 2015, Member States officially welcomed the establishment of the GFMD Business Mechanism (or Business Advisory Group on Migration). 

Since 2016, the GFMD Business Mechanism brings the voice of private sector to the Forum advocating for migration policies that consider economic perspectives. The International Organisation of Employers (IOE) hosts the secretariat to the GFMD Business Mechanism. 

For more information, please visit the GFMD Business Mechanism’s website.

  

To find out more about the outcomes of the past Business meetings, please view the outcomes documents from each year below:

GFMD Business Meeting 2018

The 2018 Business Mechanism meeting, held on 6 December as part of the Marrakesh GFMD Summit, presented stories, reactions and recommendations from both business and governments around the theme “Implementation of the GCM: how business will judge success in the 21st century world of work”. Discussion included a focus on, inter alia, the role of business in implementing the GCM, how migration is and will be needed to face the complex skills-gaps experienced by businesses, and whether and how business should advocate more publicly for the benefits of migration.

GFMD Business Meeting 2017

In 2017, the Business Mechanism hosted a round of global and regional business consultations in line with its four thematic priorities: (1) skills mobility, (2) responsible recruitment, (3) skills matching and (4) entrepreneurship. The Business Meeting also took an active role in the Global Compact for Migration preparatory process by contributing written content and engaging business speakers in the consultations in Geneva and New York, as well as at the Stocktaking Meeting in Puerto Vallarta.

GFMD Business Meeting 2016

In April 2016 a Business Mechanism Awareness Meeting was held on Enhancing the Public-Private Dialogue on Migration and Development, and in July 2016 the GFMD Business Mechanism Thematic Meeting took place. As a culmination of activities, the first GFMD Business Meeting took place at the Ninth GFMD Summit Meeting in Dhaka, focusing on the role of business in the Global compact for orderly and responsible migration.

GFMD Business Meeting 2015

Held in Istanbul on 15-16 May, the 2015 Business Meeting established the Business Mechanism as a formal and continuing part of GFMD activities. If was focused on the central theme: ‘Are businesses fit to compete in the global competition for skills? Strengthening public-private dialogue to rethink labor migration policies and international skills mobility in the framework of the GFMD’.

Other related documents

The GFMD and Civil Society

Civil society engagement in the GFMD has grown significantly over time. Although the GFMD is state-led, civil society plays a key role in the dialogue by providing the perspective of a broad range of civil society organizations from across the world. 

GFMD Civil Society Engagement

Until the Quito Summit in 2020, civil society participated in the GFMD through Civil Society Days (CSD) preceding the Summit. In 2020, the UAE Chair opened the entire Summit to all stakeholders, transforming CSD into a Civil Society Preparatory Meeting (CSPM) to discuss the topics on the programme, agree on key messages and prepare civil society delegates attending the Summit.

GFMD Civil Society Mechanism and Coordinating Office

Since the Swiss Chairmanship in 2011, civil society's engagement in the GFMD has been self-organized. The Civil Society Coordinating Office, hosted by the International Catholic Migration Commission (ICMC), coordinates civil society activities and participation in the Forum. A Civil Society International Steering Committee (ISC), consisting of over 30 organizations and networks active in migration and development, guides these efforts. For more information, please visit the GFMD Civil Society website.

Previous Civil Society Meetings

To find out more about the outcomes of the past Civil Society Days meetings, please view the outcomes documents from each year below:

The GFMD Youth Stakeholder Network

Youth participation in the GFMD started under the Swedish Chairmanship in 2013 and has steadily grown over the years. Originally coordinated through the UN Major Group for Children and Youth, in 2017 a dedicated Working Group on Migration was established to bring the voice of youth to migration fora at international level. In 2021, having reached over 179 organizations representing 88,000 youth across the world, the Group re-established itself as the Migration Youth and Children Platform (MYCP), the youth-led constituency for migration issues.

Formalized Youth Participation

The GFMD Steering Group formalized the participation of youth as a mandated stakeholder of the Forum in July 2021, recognizing MYCP as the official body for the self-organized participation by children and youth in the GFMD. 

Youth engagement in the GFMD is facilitated through various structures, including Member States, the three Mechanisms, and GFMD Observers. The inclusion of children and youth as panelists and speakers at GFMD events is encouraged, and youth preparatory spaces linked to the Summit are established. The modalities of youth participation in GFMD activities are defined in collaboration with each individual mechanism or structure, with MYCP acting as a source and coordinator of youth involvement.

Youth Forums

Over the past years, Youth Forums have been organized as preparatory events to the GFMD Summit. These are capacity building opportunities for young people, composed of youth leaders, young migrants, organization and government members, attending the Summit as youth representatives, brought together to discuss migration issues, priorities and solutions. Youth Forums include skills workshops, and preparatory roundtables, and feature expert speakers from UN agencies, prominent stakeholders, and champion countries to support the discussions.

For more information, please visit the MYCP's website www.migrationyouthchildrenplatform.org or write to migrationgfp@umgcy.org.

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