London/Rome — Speaking at the opening of the Global Migration Group (GMG) meeting in London on Wednesday (02/05), the two co-chairs of the Group, IOM Director General, William Lacy Swing and FAO Director General, José Graziano de Silva, highlighted the importance of the current negotiations of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, and of the Global Compact on Refugees, due to be completed later this year. 

DG Swing said: “This is a period of great promise, but also uncertainty. The UN family, working in close partnership with each other, must be ready to support governments and relevant stakeholders at all levels in implementing the outcome of the Global Compact negotiations itself in the coming years.”

“Migration can contribute to development, and that should be kept front and centre of public attention,” said FAO DG José Graziano da Silva.  “The GMG brings together the diverse expertise and operational capacity of its members. This is fundamental to harnessing the many opportunities migration brings for development, and managing the challenges that can arise. In addition, the members of the GMG can help states achieve the sustainable development goals which are influenced by human mobility,” he added.

The GMG is an inter-agency group comprising 22 UN agencies working on migration issues. It is co-chaired by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in 2018, and is providing technical support to the intergovernmental negotiations taking place in New York expected to lead to the adoption of a Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration by December 2018. 

The Group discussed ways in which they can help ensure that communication on migration increases understanding, counters xenophobia and ensures a more balanced picture of migration, to give space to governments to develop fact-based migration policies.

A number of events highlighting case studies and examples of good practice are planned for coming months. The GMG’s members include the following organizations, in addition to FAO and IOM: IFAD, ILO, OHCHR, UNCTAD, UNDESA, UNDP, UNEP, UNESCO, UNFPA, UNHCR, UNICEF, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNODC, UN Women, UNU, World Bank, WFP, WHO, and the UN regional commissions.

For more information please contact: Tamara Keating at IOM HQ, Tel: +41 22 717 9533, Email: tkeating@iom.int