The 12th annual Global Forum on Migration and Development was kicked off on January 21, 2020 in Quito, Ecuador. The Forum will be hosted by Ecuadorean government officials and attended by minister level officials, shaping migration policy, from throughout the world. This is a great event that routinely brings together thought leaders, key opinion stakeholders, and policy shapers to foster discussion and knowledge capital in the arena of labor and global migration policy, says global relocation expert and NY-based attorney Jon Purizhansky.
This year’s Forum includes three central themes: 1) Coordinated responses to mixed movements: Partnerships and collective action to protect rights; Migration narratives and communication: What role, responsibility and resources do governments have?; and Addressing human mobility as part of urban and rural development strategies. Having a diverse group of attendees from mixed backgrounds and cultures will yield a broad discussion around impactful effects of migration in various countries and territories.
A portion of the meeting will be allocated to business meetings and roundtable discussions. Since 2016 such meetings between private sector and government officials have been planned and executed at the Forum. It’s important for the private sector to get involved in the global migration and labor discussion, noted Jon Purizhansky. Ultimately it’s the private sector that is shaping the supply/demand curve within this space, thus they should be at the table when discussing and shaping policy, continued Purizhansky.
The Forum also provides roundtable opportunities for regional countries to meet and confer. Such roundtables are scheduled for the Middle-East, Africa, Latin America, and Asia. Such roundtables are vital to bring key stakeholders together to discuss an important and mutually impactful discussion point.
The Global Forum on Migration and Development is not a part of the United Nations, but it is closely aligned with the UN. In fact, it was UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan who recommended and endorsed a global migration forum in 2006. The Forum is open to all Member states and to observers of the United Nations.
The Global Forum on Migration and Development has several key agenda items, including in-part: To provide a forum and medium for key policy makes to meet and confer to discuss key issues around global migration. In addition, they strive to promote best practices to protect all stakeholders in the migration supply chain. The Forum also supports the identification of gaps and shared solutions to resolve and satiate such gaps.
The Forum sets standards around migration and development and fosters partnerships between countries, and also between countries and the private sector. Such Forums advance a key global issue that needs cooperation, compassion, and a cultivation for solution, noted Jon Purizhansky.