Under the Operating Modalities of the GFMD adopted in 2007, the Forum meets every year for an inter-active and practice-oriented dialogue. It is attended by high-level and senior government policy-makers, and its deliberations are held under Chatham House Rules. A Report of Proceedings is prepared at the end of each Forum.
The supporting framework of the GFMD includes the following:
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- The Chair-in-Office: the host government which assumes responsibility for the preparatory process and the implementation of each Forum. The Chair also supervises the GFMD Support Unit.
- The Troika: comprised of the outgoing Chair, the current Chair, and the forthcoming Chair.
- The Steering Group- comprised of a smaller number of governments that are firmly committed to offer sustained political and conceptual support to the Forum process and to the Chair-in-Office, and to ensure continuity of the process. The Steering Group meets at regular intervals in Geneva to consider and advise on all relevant policy issues pertaining to the smooth running of the Forum process. It may also create thematic follow-up working groups.
- The Friends of the Forum: open to all UN Member States and Observers. It acts as a sounding board by ensuring that all Members States and Observers of the UN are kept abreast of Forum-related developments; and advises on the agenda, structure and format of the GFMD meeting. Friends of the Forum Meetings are held, in principle, at least twice in between each Forum meeting at a venue to be determined by the Chair-in-Office.
- The Chair’s Taskforce: gives political, conceptual and operational advice to the Chair, comprised of:
- national government staff from different ministries and departments and
- a limited number of international advisers sponsored by other governments or international organizations.
- The GFMD Support Unit: created in 2008 to perform administrative, financial and logistical functions; manage GFMD-related data and information; manage internationally contributed funds; and operate the GFMD website and the GFMD Platform for Partnerships (the latter since 2010).
- The Global Network of GFMD Focal Points: created in 2007 to facilitate further dialogue at the national level, as well as networking at the global level between GFMD governments.
- The GFMD government-led ad-hoc Working Groups, established by the Steering Group, which prioritize and follow up on outcomes of previous GFMD meetings and link these to current and future thematic priorities.
- The UNSG’s Special Representative on International Migration and Development- appointed in 2006, who played a key role in the creation of the GFMD and provides a link between the United Nations and the Global Forum.