Adopted in 2018, the non-binding Global Compact for Migration (GCM) is a milestone in the history of the global dialogue and international cooperation on migration. The Compact strengthens global migration governance by proposing a set of objectives accompanied by a “range of actions considered to be relevant policy instruments and best practices”.
Four years after its signature by 152 UN Member States, the UN General Assembly will review progress at the first International Migration Review Forum (IMRF) from 17 to 20 May 2022. As part of the preparations, a series of roundtables are inviting stakeholders and UN Member States to discuss the state of play on the 23 objectives.
On 9 February 2022, the UN Network on Migration organised a roundtable to discuss Objectives 1, 3, 7, 17 and 23. In line with its 360-degree vision, Objective 23 focuses on the need for partnerships and international cooperation necessary to achieve the Compact and sets out five actions in which to articulate this cooperation.
This is a list of how MIEUX+ supports these five mechanisms and their guiding principles.
Five Ways MIEUX+ supports Objective 23
- Provision of technical assistance, in line with national priorities, policies, action plans and strategies, through a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach: as a pioneering global capacity development facility on migration set up in 2009, MIEUX+ was designed to support States and promote cooperation between the EU and partner countries in accordance with the overarching framework of the external dimension of EU migration policy. In each of our projects, we strive to bring together different actors that are directly or indirectly linked to migrants and migration, opening up new channels of communication between regional actors, national and local government institutions and civil society actors, academia, migrants and the private sector. Concrete examples of aligning migration policies to national development plans and strategic priorities include past projects in Côte d’Ivoire, Costa Rica, Kyrgyzstan and Mauritius.
- National ownership: as a demand-driven facility, one of our essential features is ownership. Partner countries request assistance according to their priorities and capacities through a formal letter and co-design each intervention, enabling for needs and pace of implementation to be adapted to each context. To respond to the requests submitted, a broad ‘menu’ of activities is available, corresponding to a variety of aspects, such as policy making and implementation, institutional development, data management, cooperation, regulatory frameworks and others. The selected interventions respond directly to the priorities identified by the partner institutions. The activities proposed for each Action are assessed against their relevance, quality, ownership, impact and sustainability at institutional and national levels, and against coherence with other ongoing or recently completed projects.
- Fostering international and regional cooperation to accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: Building bridges between actors is at the core of MIEUX+ Actions. Starting in 2012 with a joint request from the Governments of the Philippines, Vietnam and Indonesia, this initiative has accommodated several projects to enhance intra-regional cooperation between government and other actors in several areas linked to migration, such as data management, environment, international protection. Other examples that are more recent include past projects in Central America and Mexico with the Comprehensive Regional Protection & Solutions Framework (MIRPS, for its acronym in Spanish) , the Secretariat for Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), and West Africa. Furthermore, all MIEUX+ projects align their objectives to the 17 goals of the 2030 Agenda.
- Capacity development and resource mobilization: Over the years, we have witnessed first-hand how capacity development, which we see as a collaborative and transformative process, can be instrumental in promoting rights-based migration governance, and how a demand-driven cooperation approach leads to more tailored-technical assistance solutions and greater ownership from partner authorities. Stimulating the exchange of expert experiences from both European and partner administrations, as well as promoting triangular cooperation, builds the overall knowledge base on migration; contributes to establishing practices and increases harmonisation of practices rooted in rights-based governance, in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Building on our experience, a new capacity development strategy was created in 2020 to support international partners in their endeavour to embed the knowledge acquired into their existing structures. This enhanced approach will pilot in projects in Central Asia, Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean soon.
- Take into account the specific realities in Africa, least developed countries, landlocked developing countries, Small Island developing States and middle-income countries: As a global programme with a portfolio of over 100 past projects, we have supported partners with very different needs, resources, and capacities. Examples range from supporting labour migration strategies in Mali and fighting against irregular migration in Niger to devising a migration policy for Cabo Verde, working with the Mexican administration to enhance protection for vulnerable migrants and taking into account Rwanda’s priorities to improve migration data management or Kazakhstan’s ambition to protect the rights of migrant children and their families.
Conclusion
As the preparations for the first International Migration Review Forum unfold, MIEUX+ will continue promoting exchange of knowledge and practices between peers and support ongoing efforts by the UN Migration Network Hub to systematise knowledge on migration by providing practices and case studies as resources for the international community.