PRESS RELEASE: National, local governments and partners from 11 countries convene to share solutions for harnessing migration for sustainable development
Related Sustainable Development Goals and Global Compact for Migration Objectives
National governments and local representatives meet in Rabat to discuss progress, share good practices and identify solutions to ensure that migration positively impacts their countries' sustainable development, unleashing the potential of human mobility for prosperity, equality and peace.
Rabat, 13 June 2022 – Today, the IOM-UNDP Global Programme on Making Migration Work for Sustainable Development (M4SD) funded by the Swiss Development Cooperation (SDC) convenes the second Global Programme Board meeting, hosted by the government of the Kingdom of Morocco. Over 60 experts on migration, human mobility and development - including national and local governments, UN Agencies, donors, private sector and civil society organizations - from 11 countries have come together from 13-14 June to discuss progress achieved, pathways ahead and visions towards leveraging migration towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The IOM-UNDP Global Programme, launched in 2019, is in phase III of a longstanding effort to pioneer a more integrated methodology to migration governance, promote policy coherence and foster greater benefits for communities, in line with national and local development priorities. The Programme serves to showcase how mainstreaming migration into development and other sectoral policies delivers results on the ground that directly contribute to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, thus bridging policy with practice. Concrete initiatives, designed towards scalability and expanded government ownership, are being rolled out to achieve this and foster new opportunities for migrants and all members of the community through stronger education, employment, health and social security.
Participating Countries: Bangladesh, Ecuador, Jamaica, Kyrgyzstan, Republic of Moldova, Morocco, Nepal, Philippines, Senegal, Serbia, Tunisia
The 11 countries here today have made great progress to date in harnessing migration governance for sustainable development. From supporting the creation of businesses by reinforcing the Business Incubation Desk in the Moroccan region of Tanger-Tétouan-Al Hoceïma to enhancing the employability of youth and marginalised populations in Serbia through apprenticeships and labour insertion, the Programme has a strong focus on supporting inclusive education and employment with strong engagement from the private sector. Mapping and engaging diasporas in sustainable development efforts is also a key component with the Republic of Moldova testing out a new methodology to measure the economic contributions of their diaspora beyond remittances and the Government of Nepal setting up a Brain Gain Centre. In the Moroccan region of Oriental, women, children and other marginalised persons including migrants have accessed crucial psycho-social and health services through two new counselling units. To read about all 11 countries’ activities and progress, check out the country profiles on our website.
"This program fits perfectly within the framework of the migration policy adopted in 2013 by Morocco, thanks to the Vision and Enlightened Directives of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, which aims to ensure better integration of migrants into Moroccan society, notably through support to concrete initiatives at the local level in terms of facilitating migrants' access to basic services but also support to public institutions in order to effectively integrate migration-related issues into their respective sectoral strategies at the national and regional levels."
- Ahmed Skim, Director of the Department of Migration Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates
Adopting a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach, the Global Programme enables multi-stakeholder engagement that puts mobility at the heart of our Global Goals. Discussions among experts are covering a range of essential topics that will expand global knowledge about the interlinkages between migration management and sustainable development, including how countries have integrated migration into policies, fostered gender-responsive and inclusive approaches, ensured equal access to health, education, employment and more and empowered migrants as entrepreneurs, employees and change-makers. Discussions are also focusing on good practices for ensuring evidence-based programming and policy making through disaggregated migration data, and coordination between various policies and services, between national and local levels and with diaspora, migrants’ organizations and the private sector.
What’s next for the Global Programme on Making Migration Work for Sustainable Development?
With a little over a year left before the end of the Global Programme, national and local governments will continue to implement holistic solutions for their communities, including migrants, learn from this and build the evidence-base to enhance the global understanding of the interlinkages between migration and sustainable development. Good governance that leaves no one behind – including migrants regardless of migratory status – provides an enabling environment where everyone can fulfil their potential and where neighbors work together in our joint quest for a better future.
For more information:
For general background and inquiries, visit www.migration4development.org or email migration4development@iom.int.
About the IOM-UNDP Global Programme on Making Migration Work for Sustainable Development (M4SD):
The IOM-UNDP Global Programme on Making Migration Work for Sustainable Development aims to harness the development benefits and reduce the negative effects of migration for host and home communities, migrants and their family members to support the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It is a 4-year programme running from November 2019 to October 2023 and implemented in 11 countries. The Global Programme is funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and implemented jointly by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).