Civil Society Coordination

Stepping Up Rights-Based Migration Governance

In 2021, the Global Compact on Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM) was again at the top of the agenda in our efforts to guide civil society in preparing for a milestone review of GCM implementation in 2022. 

Adopted in 2018 by the UN, the GCM, with its 23 objectives and a range of policy actions, offers a first-ever international framework for migration governance. Throughout 2021, ICMC brought together civil society actors to develop joint advocacy priorities for the UN’s first comprehensive review of Member States’ progress in implementing the GCM. This first GCM review process culminated in the International Migration Review Forum (IMRF) held in New York in May 2022.

The Civil Society Action Committee, a global platform co-convened by ICMC for NGOs advocating for better global migration governance and migrants’ rights, spearheaded a two-phase process for civil society to prepare for the IMRF. 

In the first phase, from May to August, we offered civil society groups the opportunity to consult amongst themselves and with Member States and other key groups as they explored the role of civil society in the IMRF and identified issues needing urgent attention in order to progress towards making the GCM a reality. 

#Racism

In September, the Action Committee’s Working Group on Race and Migration began preparing a training series to address racial injustice within civil society.

#GCM

Eight webinars in 2021 concluded discussions co-organized by the Action Committee to review progress on the GCM’s 23 objectives in its first two years of implementation.

#SustainDevelopment

At the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development in July, the Action Committee organized events on GCM implementation, and on migration and the pandemic.

Building on civil society input from a series of stock-taking meetings, the Action Committee held the First Open Global Civil Society Consultation on the IMRF on 28 June. As a next step, we organized the First Open Global Civil Society–Member States Dialogue on Engagement in the IMRF on 28 July to discuss with government representatives different ideas and concerns that arose during the civil society consultation, and to foster a spirit of collaboration around the IMRF. 

This dialogue with Member States resulted in shared commitments related to implementing the GCM, such as addressing racism and discrimination, countering toxic narratives, protecting the rights of migrant workers, expanding regular migration pathways, and seeking alternatives to detention. The key outcomes document from the dialogue published by the Action Committee also includes steps to ensure civil society’s full and meaningful participation in the IMRF.

From September to December, ICMC led an Action Committee process that drew on the outcomes of the first preparatory phase to develop priority IMRF advocacy points for civil society. The position paper “12 Key Ways for States to Get Back on Track,” published by the Action Committee, outlines themes that require urgent action if further progress is to be made to implement the GCM. These include ensuring migrants’ access to social services and protections and simplifying processes for regularizing their status. The paper also stresses the need to end detention, protect migrant children and the climate-displaced, and expand ways for migrants to participate in the decisions that affect their lives. 

To further support civil society members as they engage in the IMRF, the Action Committee launched dedicated engagement and resource webpages, where organizations can find relevant documents, ways to participate, and opportunities to share their plans and best practices. 

#MigrationDevelopment

In March, the Coordinating Office published a report on civil society’s preparatory meeting for and contributions to the 13th GFMD Summit, which took place in January 2021.

#Detention

The Action Committee co-published a policy brief on immigration detention that explores decriminalization, status regularization, and detention alternatives.

#IntlMigrantsDay

To mark International Migrants Day on 18 December, the People’s Migration Challenge organized a virtual event with sessions on wage theft, regular pathways, domestic workers’ rights, and detention.

Advocating for Migrants’ Rights

Preparations for the IMRF assessment process also featured prominently in ICMC’s work in 2021 within the Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD). We serve as the coordination office for civil society engagement in the GFMD, an informal dialogue space that brings together States and representatives of civil society, the private sector, local authorities, and youth around questions of migration and development – a dialogue that paved the way for the GCM.

Under the guidance of ICMC, civil society actors gave feedback on the review forum’s thematic priorities and processes to the GFMD sub-group, created in the first months of 2021, to prepare the GFMD’s contribution to the IMRF.  

To inform the GFMD’s report to the IMRF, ICMC organized a global civil society preparatory consultation. The consultation was held on 18 November, ahead of the key GFMD Friends of the Forum meeting. These preparatory discussions resulted in joint priorities and proposals for continued implementation of the GCM’s 23 objectives, which civil society then brought to the broader GFMD discussion.

During the GFMD Friends of the Forum meeting, ICMC moderated a roundtable, highlighting in particular the need to engage all stakeholders to meet the GCM objectives of ensuring migrants’ access to services (Objective 15) and their active participation in decision-making (Objective 19). We stressed that migrants must be able to access justice systems and receive health care, including free vaccines, regardless of their migration status – something the pandemic brought into sharp focus.

We call for a distinct paragraph on migrants [that] recognizes the critical role migration plays towards sustainable development and that upholds the human rights of migrants.

Open Letter from the Action Committee concerning the Ministerial Declaration for the 2021 High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development in July

Amplifying Migrants’ Voices

The views and concerns of people directly affected by migration are crucial to shaping civil society advocacy in global processes. In 2021, ICMC ensured that civil society was engaged in a way that assured that migrants’ lived experiences were at the forefront of international migration discussions.

From April through December 2021, ICMC co-led a PMC webinar series that highlighted pressing issues faced by migrant and migrant-rights organizations, and explored actionable solutions linked to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. These discussions focused on five priorities—migration, COVID-19 and a new social contract; race and ethnicity in migration; regular pathways and irregular migration; detention and return; and migration and climate change.  

Held in Arabic, English, French, and Spanish, the virtual dialogue began with two rounds of civil society discussion, summarized in concise briefing notes and postcard-format action points, before broadening the circle to include local authorities, national governments, and international organizations. 

As part of the GFMD Ad Hoc Working Group on Public Narratives on Migration, ICMC guided civil society’s leadership of the “It Takes a Community (ITAC)” social media campaign in September and October 2021. 

Launched in late March 2021 by the GFMD, this global initiative shares stories on social media of how migrants and refugees are contributing to their new communities, including their crucial involvement in responses to the pandemic and recovery efforts. For the civil society “takeover” of the campaign, we launched a video looking at why narratives matter and hosted a live event on how migrants help communities to become inclusive communities. During our civil society flagship event on 29 September, representatives from government, local authorities, and civil society explored responses and possible joint initiatives to promote more balanced public narratives to overcome racism. 

#Narratives

In late October, the Action Committee launched a webpage with resources developed by civil society organizations on migration narratives.

#MigrationLaw

A July session on advocacy to promote migrants’ rights concluded a year-long program on international migration law co-organized by the Action Committee for NGO staff.

#VaccineAccess

In February, the Action Committee signed an open letter calling for States to provide universal and timely access to COVID-19 vaccines worldwide, without any distinction.