GCM Reviews
The International Migration Review Forum (IMRF) serves as the “primary intergovernmental global platform” to discuss and share progress on the implementation of all aspects of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, including as it relates to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
We are looking for passionate young people or youth-led organizations, focused on being a voice for youth in leading national consultations ahead of the GCM Review:
North America
South & Central America
Asia & The Pacific
Africa
Europe
Middle East & North Africa (MENA)
You would be responsible for leading consultations with youth-led, youth-focused organizations in your region in preparing for the GCM review, ensuring that youth priorities are accounted for.
Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis.
Application Form Links
Introduction
The Global Compact for Migration (GCM) is the first, inter-governmentally negotiated agreement, prepared under the auspices of the United Nations, covering all dimensions of international migration holistically and comprehensively. It is a non-binding document that respects states’ sovereign right to determine who enters and stays in their territory and demonstrates a commitment to international cooperation on migration.
The GCM presents a significant opportunity to improve the governance of migration, to address the challenges associated with today’s migration, and strengthen the contribution of migrants and migration to sustainable development.
Of the 258 million migrants currently living outside of their country of birth, a staggering 32% are under the age of 30.
Given the number of young migrants living in the world, more needs to be done to engage with children and youth and ensure that they are continuously involved through a platform that is inclusive of their perspectives.
Youth are not only beneficiaries, but agents of change.
GCM Reviews
The International Migration Review Forum (IMRF) serves as the “primary intergovernmental global platform” to discuss and share progress on the implementation of all aspects of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, including as it relates to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
According to the final revised draft resolution on modalities and organizational aspects of the IMRF agreed on 15 June, the IMRF shall take place during the first semester of 2022 and thereafter every four years, and should result in a progress declaration that is concise, evidence-based and action-oriented.
This provides an opportunity for youth to be heard on a global platform. Young people have a key role in policy discussions, rising up worldwide for their rights and better opportunities and demanding a seat at the table in decision-making processes.
It is crucial to include youth in the discussion. Young migrants have specific vulnerabilities and needs, present unique opportunities, and are involved in many successful local initiatives focusing on the implementation of the GCM and the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development. For these reasons it is of utmost importance that young people are continuously engaged in policy making processes where youth themselves can voice their priorities, present opportunities they identified, and show concrete examples of how governments, civil society, and other partners can protect young people on the move and leverage the opportunities that they present.
Call to Action
The United Nations Inter-Agency Network on Youth Development (UN IANYD) is committed to goals enshrined in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the World Programme of Action for Youth and the UN Youth Strategy. Respect for all human rights - including economic, social and cultural rights as well as civil and political rights - is fundamental to the success of public health responses and recovery from the pandemic.
This is why members of the UN Inter-Agency Network on Youth Development (UN IANYD) call for: 1) Partnering, safely and effectively, with young people during and after the COVID-19 crisis, 2) Recognition of young people’s own actions and their potential to advance the fight against the pandemic, and 3) Understanding the specific impacts the pandemic has and will have on young people while ensuring that COVID-19 related responses uphold young people’s human rights and are inclusive of young people’s specific needs.
Youth tasks - What we need to make it possible
1. Engage us. Engage young people meaningfully in all preparations and meetings.
It is crucial that young people are included in all meetings. As proposed, we will do the outreach and selection, as well as the capacity-building. We appreciate the inclusion of youth and children as participants through our Major Group. In particular, we would like to ask the organizing committee for your collaboration on the following key points:
Ensure young people are invited to all meetings and preparatory webinars;
Include young people not only as participants but also as speakers, moderators, and panelists (we can help with the open call and selection);
Formally invite governments and other stakeholders to include young people in their delegations (they can also participate in the webinars and youth blasts we will organize);
Formally encourage governments to engage youth and children in their national reviews (we will be able to link them with a respective youth lead person or organization);
In case of an in-person meeting, ensure guardians can attend and support children during events.
2. Invest in us. Invest in young people's capacity-building and participation in meetings.
Most youth and children will not have the resources to self-fund their participation to the main review meeting, if held in person. UN MGCY is a volunteer organization without a core budget.
Therefore, to ensure that no one is left behind and include the most relevant and engaged young people, especially from migrant and under privileged backgrounds, we would ask the organizing committee to:
Earmark some funding to support the travel costs of these young people;
Formally invite governments, UN System, foundations, etc. to consider funding the participation of one or more youth.
3. Count us in. Ensure that youth and children's priorities are addressed in the review.
For the concerns of young people and children to be taken into account, we need efforts from all stakeholders. We would ask the committee to:
Include youth priorities (as will be identified by the consultations) in the programme, background notes, and thematic discussions;
Include data disaggregated by age, as well as by gender, ethnicity, etc., in background notes, and formally encourage all governments, UN agencies, Major Groups, etc. to do so;
Formally encourage all governments undertaking national reviews to include "counting in" the situation of youth, adolescents, and children by collecting data disaggregated by age and gender on all targets, as well as addressing key themes such as education and child protection.
Funding will help push events to the level of visibility and impact needed to ensure active young people's participation and involvement in both this process, as well as the overall discussion on migration as a whole.