Webinar on Empowering Migrants and Communities: Private Sector Engagement for Inclusive Sustainable Development

Introduction

The private sector can serve as a pivotal partner and a fundamental catalyst, enhancing the well-being of migrants and communities around them, reinforcing migration governance and magnifying migrants’ contributions to sustainable development.

Migration also matters for the private sector, as human mobility can address general labour shortages and businesses´ needs for specific skills, increase creativity and innovation through diversity, help entrepreneurs adapt to international markets and constitute important customers.

Inadequate information, a lack of private sector or political will, and direct or indirect discrimination towards foreigners may however impede the involvement of the private sector. Governments and international cooperation actors can do more to strengthen private sector engagement in the opportunities human mobility brings, including for migrants, the private sector itself and the whole of societies.

The webinar is for national and local governments, the private sector, civil society, UN agencies, and other partners. It will share lessons learned from the IOM-UNDP Joint Global Programme ‘Making Migration Work for Sustainable Development’ (M4SD), explore innovative strategies, policies and partnerships and bring different stakeholders together to discuss how current approaches could be replicated, improved or expanded.

The report "Empowering Migrants and Communities: Private Sector Engagement for Inclusive Sustainable Development" will be launched at the webinar.

Interpretation will be provided in English, French and Spanish.

Agenda 

9.00 – 9.10 (10 min)  Welcome and introduction to the event 

• Importance of private sector engagement to improve the life of community members, including migrants 

9.10. – 9.35 (25 min)     Presentation of the report 

• Identification of challenges and barriers 
• Recommendations 
• Questions from the audience 

9.35 – 10.20 (45 min)     Panel discussion 

• Moderated panel discussion featuring representatives from government, civil society, academia, and the private sector 
• Exploring the necessary policy and legal adjustments required to facilitate private sector engagement 
• Sharing best practices and lessons learned from different contexts and regions 
• Open discussion on how to translate the lessons learned into actionable steps, particularly to scale up approaches in other countries 
• Identifying potential follow-up actions, collaborations and long-term partnerships 

10.20 – 10.30 (10 min)     Closing remarks