2021 is ending and despite the volatility, there are many achievements worth sharing from the past 12 months. It includes achievements for our individual Actions as well as the development of various innovations to strengthen our work with our stakeholders.
2021 was a year defined by the challenges, consequences and impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the various ways we continued to grapple with them since early 2020. For MIEUX+, the vastness of this year could be encapsulated in the word flexibility.
When it comes to the implementation of our Actions, the team had to adapt through “navigating change”, transforming the activities to an online format. Below you will see the main achievements, and we invite you all to explore our What We Do webpage to learn more about the ongoing projects.
HIGHLIGHTS FOR ACTIONS
Over the past 12 months, MIEUX+ implemented 11 Actions, of which two have concluded. MIEUX+ organised 30 activities around the world with long-standing partners in Benin, Brazil, Costa Rica, and Mexico whilst collaborating with a range of new institutions in Ukraine, Georgia, and Kazakhstan, among others. Many Actions cover thematic areas such as migration and health, international protection and asylum, and environmental migration and almost all activities link to COVID-19 responses. 114 experts have joined the Expert Roster and they are being supported with a new Digital Toolkit that includes modules on online facilitation techniques. Highlights from each of the regions where we operate include:
In Asia
- Kazakhstan: kicking off at the end of 2021, this Action supports the Human Rights Commissioner and civil society partners in their endeavour to promote the rights of migrant children and their families in the region of Almaty.
In Eastern and Southern Africa
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Mauritius: the experts conducted a capacity and training needs assessment in November 2021, setting the scene for this Action which aims at strengthening the capacities of national authorities when it comes to fighting trafficking in human beings.
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COMESA: a regional webinar in the region of Eastern and Southern Africa was co-organised with the COMESA Secretariat, bringing together other regional organisations (ECOWAS) as well as EU experts to exchange on the topic of COVID-19 and its implications on border management.
In the EU Neighbourhood
- Moldova: launch of the Action and completion of the capacity and training needs assessment on this project on integrated border management
In Latin America and the Caribbean
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Completion of two Actions: one brought together stakeholders working on international protection in Central America and Mexico, and the other one focused on border management in Dominican Republic
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Knowledge-exchange sessions in Costa Rica: three online sessions were organised with EU and regional experts who discussed the procedures governments had to put in place to manage migration during crisis such as the COVID-19 outbreak. Read the takeaways summarised in three parts: Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3.
In Western and Central Africa
- Benin: now nearing its completion, the project in this Western African country is building on the previous Action on migration, climate change and data management. A workshop was organised to facilitate the discussions that are now being translated into tools to help managing data related to environmentally induced migration.
OTHER HIGHLIGHTS OF 2021
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MIEUX+ at the Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD): the year started with the presentation of MIEUX+ at the GFMD to update the international community of migration practitioners, government and civil society stakeholders about the new phase and to discuss migration partnerships at large. This was the third occasion when MIEUX+ was presented in the Summit.
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Migration Trends in Latin America and the Caribbean: published in early 2021, the Regional Migration Outlook summarised the five key trends to look out for in the region where MIEUX+ is very active.
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Launch of the Digital Toolkit for MIEUX+ experts: new online tools were made available to support MIEUX+ experts in their work during the implementation of Actions. Following our experts’ needs, the team developed modules on training and facilitation, adapting to online formats and more are now under development.
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Engaging communities of partners and experts: more than ever it became important to engage with our communities around the world. The team launched a community of practice with partners in Latin America and the Caribbean where they exchange practices. Additionally, a space on LinkedIn was created for experts to interact, engage and find out about the opportunities of collaboration.
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Linking migration to green economy: ICMPD and MIEUX+ organised a high-panel level on human capital and mobility and their possible role within the green economy, bringing speakers together to discuss the state of affairs and offer some solutions that could contribute to the new growth agenda.
- The 1st Annual Report in video format: since we are mainly connected online due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the MIEUX+ decided to publish the annual report 2020 – 2021 as a video to summarise the highlights of the first year of the new phase.
- Collaborations triggered by outreach sessions: the team conducted several outreach sessions with partners outside of the European Union to discuss possible Actions and with public administrations in European Union Member States to present the opportunities for collaboration. These sessions were demonstrated to be a success. For instance, the event organised in February 2021 resulted in four requests generated from Central Asian partners; three of these requests are now Actions.