News

Co-facilitators Announced for the Global Compact on Migration Process

Acting on paragraph 63 and Annex II of the New York Declaration, the President of the UN General Assembly has appointed the New York-based permanent representatives of Mexico and Switzerland  to co-facilitate the process “leading to the adoption of a global compact on safe, orderly and regular migration to be presented at an intergovernmental conference on international migration in 2018”.

Specifically, Mexican Ambassador Juan José Gómez Camacho and Swiss Ambassador Jürg Lauber are now charged with leading “open, transparent and inclusive negotiations with States” to determine:

  1. by 31 January, modalities for the Global Compact process;
  2. “possible holding of preparatory conferences” and other practicalities relating to the intergovernmental negotiations; and
  3. a timeline.

Hope and half-heartedness at the UN Summit: nearly 100 civil society organizations publish scorecard and urge world leaders to act now

View the text of 20 September 2016 press release here.

New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants adopted as a UNGA Resolution on 9 September

The UNGA Summit outcome, now called the New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants was adopted as a UNGA Resolution on 9 September. On 19 September the adoption of the Resolution will be more ceremonial in nature with the more formal adoption having already taken place.

On 8 September, the Office of the President of the General Assembly released also the concept notes for the 6 roundtables of the UNGA Summit for Refugees and Migrants.  The concept notes give an introduction and background note to each Roundtable, before discussing priorities for international action and suggesting questions for the consideration of participants.  

The titles of the six roundtables are:

  1. Addressing the root causes of large movements of refugees
  2. Addressing drivers of migration, particularly large movements, and highlighting the positive contributions of migrants
  3. International action and cooperation on refugees and migrants and issues related to displacement: the way ahead
  4. Global compact for responsibility-sharing for refugees; respect for international law
  5. Global compact for safe, regular and orderly migration: towards realizing the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development and realizing the human rights of migrants
  6. Addressing vulnerabilities of refugees and migrants on their journeys from their countries of origin to their countries of arrival

UN Member States reach consensus on Outcome Document for 19 September High-level Summit

On Tuesday 2 August 2016, after weeks of intensive and at times rushed negotiations, UN Member States achieved consensus on the Outcome document that will be presented for signing by states at the UN General Assembly Summit on Addressing Large Movements of Refugees and Migrants on 19 September. The Outcome document is composed of three parts:

  • a Political Declaration: sets forth a set of key principles and commitments that the states are making, including many on the protection of the human rights of all migrants, regardless of their status, under existing human rights and humanitarian treaties, and the further rights (e.g., under the 1951 Refugee Convention and other international treaties) of particular migrants, such as refugees and asylum seekers, children, victims of trafficking, torture and trauma.
  • Annex I – Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework: a guide for responding to situations that involve large movements and arrival of refugees, with protection of refugees and support and cooperation from and among States, agencies, civil society and the communities involved. In the final section of the Framework, states commit to work towards the adoption of a Global Compact on Refugees at the UN General Assembly in 2018.
  • Annex II – Towards a Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration: the announcement of the launch of a two-year process to devise a Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, also for adoption by the UN General Assembly in 2018. In this Annex, States list some of the elements that could be included in the Compact.

 Read some analyses and responses from civil society to these documents here

Civil society globally calls upon world leaders to urgently adopt solutions for refugees and migrants beyond the UN Summit

A civil society joint statement and ‘scorecard’  has been released on 13 September 2016 lamenting governments’ uneven commitments and lack of urgency to deliver a real new deal for refugees and migrants at the UN Summit. The statement urges states to take seven immediate actions to truly make a difference. A “difference on the ground for the millions of refugees, migrants and internally displaced people (IDPs) in need of protection, safe passage, solidarity, inclusion, decent work and livelihoods, and for the societies that host them”.

The statement and scorecard was drafted in consultation with the 22 members of the self-organized civil society Action Committee, and is now open for signatures until 15 September.

World leaders must step up efforts to conclude robust & principled deal for refugees and migrants

In a joint statement, twenty-four civil society members expressed concerns facing the evolution of negotiations on the outcome for the Summit for Refugees and Migrants. The statement urges governments to step up to cooperate on responsibility-sharing solutions and agree on an outcome document “delivering vital changes” for the lives of millions of displaced people.

The signatory NGOs identified five goals that should be achieved in order to consider the final outcome a success and not a “repetition of existing commitments”. 

Civil society “A New Deal for refugees, migrants and societies” is still open for global sign-on

The input that the self-organized Civil Society Action Committee prepared as a baseline of starting points for UN Member States to use in their development of the Outcome document is open for sign-on by civil society organizations everywhere.  Entitled “A New Deal for refugees, migrants and societies” , it is a resource to support civil society organizing and advocacy directly with UN Member States in capitals around the world, in New York and in other settings, both inside and outside of the outcome negotiations.

95 civil society organizations have already signed on in support of this “New Deal”.   See the list of organizations here.

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