The GFMD is a voluntary, non-binding and informal consultative process open to all Member-States and Observers of the United Nations.
It aims at developing a non-binding policy framework, based on the exchange of ideas, approaches, experiences and good practices. It covers all the dimensions, opportunities and challenges of international migration, in particular its linkage with development. Within this framework, the GFMD offers the opportunity for:

• networking and cooperation between government agencies, international organisations and other stakeholders;
• the identification of innovative actions and effective strategies for the integration of migration into development planning;
• the identification of concrete policy orientations to this effect, while upholding the understanding that the GFMD is not a binding decision-making process.

GMFD meetings take place once a year and consist of two successive meetings:

• The Civil Society Days meeting takes place during the first days (in Belgium, it lasted one day and in the Philippines two). It provides a platform for discussion among representatives of Civil Society, representatives of NGOs, migrant associations, diaspora organisations, representatives of trade unions and of the private sector that are associated with, or interested in, migration issues.
• The Government Meeting takes place in continuation and offers a platform for dialogue among high-ranking government representatives (policy-practitioners and policy-makers).
• Each of these meetings formulate recommendations that emerge from the discussions.
• The outcomes of the Civil Society Days are presented at the opening session of the Government Meeting. A joint meeting (interface) between representatives of Civil Society and government delegates is held at the end of the second day of the Civil Society Days. The purpose of the interface is to discuss the outcomes of the CSD meetings with government representatives.

The preparatory phase of the GFMD is an integral part of the process; it is carried out throughout the twelve month period between each GFMD. It is based on a participative approach; it is led by governments of both developed and developing countries respectively (for the Government Days) and civil society representatives (for the Civil Society Days). Civil society and government representatives bring together their knowledge on the subjects of the agenda of the GFMD, which has been established through a consultative process. The preparatory process adds great value to the Forum meetings because it reinforces the government led nature of the GMFD. It also constitutes an important “learning” process for all the governments involved through each other’s experiences. Furthermore, it opens discussions at a national and international level in an informal manner and contributes to the free and open exchange of views and ideas between countries.

 

The idea of creating a global consultative forum (which became the GFMD) was proposed at the High-Level Dialogue on International Migration and Development (HLD) on 14-15 September 2006 at the General Assembly of the United Nations by the then Secretary General of the UN, Mr Kofi Annan. During the HLD, over 140 Member States discussed the global implications of international migration on economic and social development, the interaction between migration and development, and how better migration governance could contribute to development and vice versa, a complex relationship of growing importance in view of the increasing migration flows. The aforementioned triggered widespread recognition and support in the UN for the continuation of an open and transparent dialogue on migration and development in an informal, non-binding and state-led framework that will promote practical, evidence-based outcomes and cooperation between governments.

Belgium took on the organisation of the 1st GFMD in Brussels from 9 to 11 July 2007. The main goal of this meeting was to examine the impact of migration on social and economic development, in terms of human capital development and labour mobility on the one hand and the contribution of migrant resources (financial as well as skills) on the other hand. Policy coherence between migration and development policies was the second main issue. Horizontal issues such as human rights, gender and root causes were also discussed. Operating modalities were put in place to create a structured framework that can guarantee the future continuation of the Forum on a sound basis.

The 2nd GFMD took place in Manila on 29-30 October 2008; it revolved around the central theme, ‘Protecting and Empowering Migrants for Development’. Its goal was to emphasize the human aspect of migration and the protection of migrant rights, and to examine the impact of such protection in reinforcing development.
In Brussels, as in Manila, countries and international organizations were widely represented. Around 160 representatives of Member-States and UN Observers, as well as of over 30 international organisations, participated in the government meetings, while over 220 people participated in the Civil Society Days.

 

1/ Chair-in-Office
The host country assumes responsibility of the preparatory process of the Forum and presides over all meetings of the institutional structure (Troika, Steering Group and Friends of the Forum), as well as the Forum itself.

2/ Troika
The Troika consists of the Chair-in-Office, the next Chair of the Forum and the outgoing Chair. The Troika acts as support to the Chair in Office. The Troika consisted of Belgium, the Philippines and Greece until the hand-over of the organisation to Greece. Greece assumed the presidency on 16 December 2008. The Troika at present consists of the Philippines, Greece and Mexico.

3/Steering Group
The Steering Group is comprised of government representatives of a limited number of countries, committed to offer political and conceptual support to the Forum process and to the Chair-in-Office, to ensure the continuity of the GFMD process. The number of its members is not specified (it stands today at 34 countries), but membership is geographically balanced. It also takes into account the development level of participating countries, and the different perspectives on migration and interests of governments. On 01 April 2009, under the Greek Presidency, the USA, Germany and India joined the Steering Group. The Group meets regularly under the Chair-in-Office.

4/ Friends of the Forum
The Friends of the Forum is open to all Member-States and Observers of the U.N. It meets at least twice during the period between the annual GFMD meetings under the Chair-in-Office. Its aim is to act as a sounding board, to inform all countries about developments (progress of preparatory process, themes etc.), to informally approve the Steering Group’s and the Chair-in-Office’s actions, to ensure transparency and to enhance the spirit of participation.

5/ Support Unit
The Support Unit commenced its operation during the Greek Presidency, in February 2009. On 15 December 2008 a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed in Athens with the International Organization for Migration which agreed to host the Support Unit at its Geneva headquarters. The SU is a structure developed so as to lend support in accordance to each Chair’s requirements. As described in the Memorandum, the tasks of the Support Unit are of an administrative nature: it undertakes the management of GFMD related data and information, GFMD funds made by international contributors based on the provisional budget established by the Chair-in-Office, administrative, financial and logistical functions, operational support and the central GFMD website.

6/ National Focal Points
National Focal Points are high ranking government officials of participating governments, appointed as contact points to facilitate the preparation and implementation of the Forum’s preparatory procedures and to coordinate at a national level different aspects related to the preparation and implementation of the recommendations of the GFMD. In addition, they represent their country at the Steering Group and Friends of the Forum meetings

7/ The Special Representative of the SG/Relationship with the UN and other international organisations
Although the Forum is not part of the UN system, it maintains with it a strong link through:

• the Special Representative on International Migration and Development of the Secretary General, with whom regular consultations take place and who participates in the SG and FoF meetings;
• through the involvement/implication of relevant international organisations that form part of the UN spectrum in the preparatory process.

The Forum also cooperates with other relevant international organisations that are not part of the UN.

 

1. Axes – Priorities:

Greece, as Chair of the 3rd GFMD, aims at:

• A holistic approach of the multi-dimensional nature of global mobility and of the migration-development debate. It strives for that, by promoting the integration of migration policies into development strategies at national, regional and international level. It should be noted in this context that the European Pact on Migration and Asylum, adopted by the European Council on 15 October 2008, is the basis for an integrated European common migration policy, which takes into account the migration and development aspects. At the same time, mainstreaming of migration in development thinking is taking place globally, both in developed and developing countries, thus contributing to the achievement of the MDG’s.
• While ensuring thematic continuity with previous fora, the examination of new themes and today’s challenges are also important, in particular the impact of the global economic crisis on the migration-development interface.
• Enhancing the Forum process by fostering :
  • Open, straightforward and productive dialogue.
  • Exchange of good practices and policies.
  • Identification of policy gaps.
  • Facilitation of practical outcomes and policy initiatives.
• Encouraging the elaboration of specific proposals that can be integrated into the national migration and development policies and programmes of the participating countries

It is in the light of all the above, that the Greek Chair suggested “INTEGRATING MIGRATION POLICIES INΤΟ DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES FOR THE BENEFIT OF ALL” as the overarching theme of the 3rd GFMD.

2. Greek Themes:

It is central to the Greek theme to put the focus and emphasis on development in the migration and development nexus as a key to ensure that, if people move, it is not out of necessity. The goal is to strengthen the initiative made by the U.N. General Secretary. That is, to address the connection between the root causes of migration and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. In this context, discussions will be held on how to improve mainstream migration in development planning at a national and international level and how to engage diasporas in development policies and programs.

Furthermore, within the overarching theme of the Greek Chair, new issues will be analysed, such as the inter-relationship between migrant integration, reintegration and development in the light of new patterns of migrant movement (such as circular migration). Special attention will be given to human rights issues in the context of inclusion, protection and acceptance of migrants. Lastly, a progress report will be formulated on policy and institutional coherence and discussion on latest policy based on relevant data and research results. In this framework, a discussion will also take place on the progress made by countries in their efforts to link migration and development through the development of regional frameworks and inter-regional processes.
These themes constitute the thematic framework of the three Roundtables of the Forum.

The themes were formulated on the basis of the results produced by a thematic survey conducted by the Greek Chair in January 2009. The survey that was submitted to the Steering Group member-countries offered a number of options for each roundtable session. In continuation, the survey results were discussed at several of the Steering Group (25th February 2009/1st April) and Friends of the Forum (2nd of April) meetings. In the light of these discussions, the themes were revised and finally endorsed by the participating countries. All national focal points received the final version and countries were invited to participate in the different inter-governmental working groups of developed and developing countries, Working groups are set up to prepare the documents which will guide discussions held at the Roundtable theme sessions. For the preparation of the Roundtable discussions, the Greek Chair continues herewith the participative and group approach, as fashioned in Brussels and continued in Manila. During the GFMD, the three Roundtables, as in previous meetings, will meet in breakout sessions. In total, there will be seven sessions organized in Athens.

EU member-states were informed of the Greek themes and other general issues, during the E.U. Justice and Internal Affairs Council meeting (Luxembourg, 06.04.09).

3. Brief session topics presentation:

The theme: «Integration of migration policies into development strategies for the benefit of all» will remain the central point of all discussions.

More specifically:
Roundtable 1: How to make the migration – development nexus work for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), will focus on the way migration can be associated with the pursuit of the Millennium Development Goals and governments’ national development plans, aid policies or partnerships underpinning this pursuit. It will take into consideration that migration is not a substitute for development, nor is development a substitute for migration. This Roundtable will include the following 3 sessions:

Session 1.1: Mainstreaming migration in development planning -Key actors, key strategies, key actions. This session addresses how national and international strategies for development, poverty reduction and economic growth take account of migration for the benefit of all parties, particularly developing countries. It should also identify how the implementation of these strategies can contribute to achieving the MDGs.

Session 1.2: Engaging Diasporas and migrants in development policies and programs- their role? Their constraints? This session builds upon the discussions that begun in Belgium and Manila on how to strengthen the development of the positive impact of diaspora’s initiatives. Special focus will be given on the partnerships that can be established for the achievement of the MDG’s, through the transfer of knowledge and of financial flows. It will also examine what motivates diaspora’s to participate in investment programmes, business and trade ventures in their country of origin.

Session 1.3: Addressing the root causes of migration through development, specifically in light of the current global economic crisis. This session will explore the impact of the economic crisis on migrants as well as on the push and pull factors related to the migration and development nexus.

Roundtable 2, titled: Migrant integration, reintegration and circulation for development, will compliment the development orientation of Roundtable 1 by addressing policies that secure the rights and situation of regular migrants- long term, temporary or circular migrants- while they reside in the host country but also upon their return to their country of origin, in order to maximize their development potential for the benefit of the countries of origin.

Session 2.1: Inclusion, protection and acceptance of migrants in society – linking human rights and migrant empowerment for development. This session will explore the links between the creation of a protective and enabling environment for migrants, their inclusion in the socio-economic tissue of the host countries, and their contribution to the development of their countries of origin. It will examine in particular the challenges set by new patterns of mobility, temporary and circular migration, in these areas.

Session 2.2: Reintegration and circular migration – effective for development? This session will look at policies of reintegration of returning migrants, either permanent or within the framework of the new patterns of temporary or circular migration, in order to enhance their contribution to the development of the country of origin.

Roundtable 3, titled Policy and Institutional Coherence and Partnerships, will build upon the discussions initiated in Brussels and continued in Manila, in relation to issues of data gathering, policy coherence, regional co-operation and dialogue frameworks. The Greek Chair intends to put the emphasis on practice oriented outcomes in view of the existing abundance of data analysis and research tools, and on the concepts of institutional and policy coherence themselves which took place in previous GFMD meetings. The Roundtable is structured into two sessions:

Session 3.1: Policy and Institutional Coherence – Latest Data and Research Findings. This session will discuss concrete progress and evolving government practices in terms of policy coherence. It will discuss assessment mechanisms and results in terms of policy and practice, focus on mechanisms for effective data collection and share information on the latest data and research findings and priorities.

Session 3.2: Regional and Inter-regional Processes and Fora. This session will review progress made on regional and inter-regional processes, with the intent of linking migration and development concerns more productively and to assess how these activities can be relevant in the GFMD context. It will give representatives the opportunity to present their recent activities regarding such processes (e.g. Euro-Africa Conference on Migration and Development, South American Conference on Migration, Development and Human Rights, Meeting of the regional co-operation representatives in Bangkok etc.).

A ‘Special Session on the Future of the GFMD’ will take place at the end of the government meeting. It will discuss general and strategic issues related to the GFMD, such as an appraisal (and, if need be, an update) of its operational structure and its operating modalities, its relationship with the UN, its co-operation with the Global Migration Group, the relationship with Civil Society and so forth. It will also make an assessment of the operations of the Support Unit.