Established : 2006

Objectives

The UN General Assembly in its resolution 58/208 of 23 December 2003 decided to devote a high-level dialogue to international migration and development during its sixty-first session in 2006. The purpose of the high-level dialogue is to discuss the multidimensional aspects of international migration and development and identify appropriate ways to maximize its development benefits and minimize its negative impacts.

Additionally, the high-level dialogue has a strong focus on policy issues, including the challenge of achieving internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The First HLD examined the relationship and synergies between international migration and development. It was composed of four plenary meetings and four interactive round tables on such themes as migrant’s right, human trafficking and migrant smuggling, remittances, partnerships at the bilateral and regional levels.

The First HLD resulted in the creation of the voluntary, State-led and non-binding Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD), a platform for informal dialogue and cooperation.

In 2006, the UN Secretary-General established the Global Migration Group (GMG), an interagency coordination mechanism including the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and 15 entities of the United Nations system, to promote the wider application of international and regional instruments and norms relating to migration and to encourage the adoption of more coherent, comprehensive and better coordinated inter-agency approaches.

The Second High-level Dialogue on International Migration and Development discussed the post- 2015 development framework and integrating migration into development policies, labour migration, migrant’s rights, safe migration, among other topics. The Second HLD’s result was the eight-point agenda for action on making migration work. Informal interactive hearings were held with the representatives of civil society organizations and the private sector.

The Second HLD identified concrete measures to strengthen coherence and cooperation at all levels, with a view to enhancing the benefits of international migration for migrants and countries alike and its important links to development, while reducing its negative implications.

Current Focus

  • Migration and Development,
  • Labour Migration
  • Human Rights of Migrants
  • Migrant Exploitation
  • Human Trafficking
  • Stranded Migrants
  • Migration data and Migration Evidence Base
  • Public Perceptions of Migrants
  • Migration partnerships and cooperation
Participating States (195 states)
  • Afghanistan
  • Albania
  • Algeria
  • Andorra
  • Angola
  • Antigua and Barbuda
  • Argentina
  • Armenia
  • Australia
  • Austria
  • Azerbaijan
  • Bahamas
  • Bahrain
  • Bangladesh
  • Barbados
  • Belarus
  • Belgium
  • Belize
  • Benin
  • Bhutan
  • Bolivia
  • Bosnia andHerzegovina
  • Botswana
  • Brazil
  • Brunei Darussalam
  • Bulgaria
  • Burkina Faso
  • Burundi
  • Cabo Verde
  • Cambodia
  • Cameroon
  • Canada
  • Central AfricanRepublic
  • Chad
  • Chile
  • China
  • Colombia
  • Comoros
  • Congo
  • Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • Costa Rica
  • Côte d'Ivoire
  • Croatia
  • Cuba
  • Cyprus
  • Czech Republic
  • Denmark
  • Djibouti
  • Dominica
  • Dominican Republic
  • Ecuador
  • Egypt
  • El Salvador
  • Equatorial Guinea
  • Eritrea
  • Estonia
  • Eswatini
  • Ethiopia
  • Fiji
  • Finland
  • France
  • Gabon
  • Gambia
  • Georgia
  • Germany
  • Ghana
  • Greece
  • Grenada
  • Guatemala
  • Guinea
  • Guinea-Bissau
  • Guyana
  • Haiti
  • Holy See (Vatican City State)
  • Honduras
  • Hungary
  • Iceland
  • India
  • Indonesia
  • Iran
  • Iraq
  • Ireland
  • Israel
  • Italy
  • Jamaica
  • Japan
  • Jordan
  • Kazakhstan
  • Kenya
  • Kiribati
  • Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
  • Republic of Korea
  • Kuwait
  • Kyrgyzstan
  • Lao People's Democratic Republic
  • Latvia
  • Lebanon
  • Lesotho
  • Liberia
  • Libya
  • Liechtenstein
  • Lithuania
  • Luxembourg
  • Republic of Macedonia
  • Madagascar
  • Malawi
  • Malaysia
  • Maldives
  • Mali
  • Malta
  • Marshall Islands
  • Mauritania
  • Mauritius
  • Mexico
  • Micronesia
  • Republic of Moldova
  • Monaco
  • Mongolia
  • Montenegro
  • Morocco
  • Mozambique
  • Myanmar
  • Namibia
  • Nauru
  • Nepal
  • Netherlands
  • New Zealand
  • Nicaragua
  • Niger
  • Nigeria
  • Norway
  • Oman
  • Pakistan
  • Palau
  • Palestinian Territory
  • Panama
  • Papua NewGuinea
  • Paraguay
  • Peru
  • Philippines
  • Poland
  • Portugal
  • Qatar
  • Romania
  • Russia
  • Rwanda
  • Saint Kitts and Nevis
  • SaintLucia
  • SaintVincent and the Grenadines
  • Samoa
  • SanMarino
  • São Toméand Príncipe
  • Saudi Arabia
  • Senegal
  • Serbia
  • Seychelles
  • Sierra Leone
  • Singapore
  • Slovak
  • Slovenia
  • Solomon Islands
  • Somalia
  • South Africa
  • South Sudan
  • Spain
  • Sri Lanka
  • Sudan
  • Suriname
  • Sweden
  • Switzerland
  • Syria
  • Tajikistan
  • Tanzania
  • Thailand
  • Timor-Leste
  • Togo
  • Tonga
  • Trinidad and Tobago
  • Tunisia
  • Turkey
  • Turkmenistan
  • Tuvalu
  • Uganda
  • Ukraine
  • United Arab Emirates
  • United Kingdom
  • United States of America
  • Uruguay
  • Uzbekistan
  • Vanuatu
  • Venezuela
  • Viet Nam
  • Yemen
  • Zambia
  • Zimbabwe
Observers
Partners
  • CSOs
  • Private Sector organizations
Secretariat

UN DESA Population Division
Website
http://www.un.org/en/ga/68/meetings/migration/

Meetings
Principal Documents

Related Content

UN High-level Dialogue on International Migration and Development 2013

Related Topics & Pages

Global Processes on Migration
Inter-State Consultation Mechanisms on Migration