Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Youth Forum?
In the New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants adopted in September 2016, the UN General Assembly decided to develop a Global Compact for Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration (GCM). After months of consultations and negotiations, the international community has developed a final version of the GCM, which is the first-ever UN global agreement on a common approach to international migration in all its dimensions. The GCM is a significant opportunity to improve the governance of migration, to address the challenges associated with today’s migration, and to strengthen the contribution of migrants and migration to sustainable development.
As a result, a Global Migration Week will take place between the 3rd to 12th of December 2018 in Marrakesh, Morocco. It will begin with the multi-stakeholder Global Forum on Migration Development (GFMD), 3rd to 7th of December, followed by the International Conference on Migration (ICM), 10th to 12th of December, during which the Global Compact on Migration (GCM) will be adopted.
Between the two major events (8th to 9th), several ICM side events will be held, one of which will be the Youth Forum (YF), organised by the United Nations Major Group for Children and Youth (UNMGCY). This Forum is aimed at guiding youth engagement in the International Conference on Migration (ICM), in particular regarding the implementation, follow-up and review of the Global Compact on Migration (GCM).
The Youth Forum is supported by the UN Secretary General Special Representative to Migration and Morocco.
What activities will the Youth Forum entail?
The forum will consist of three activities:
Practical and theoretical introduction ensuring that all participating youth have the needed knowledge about the topic of migration and the GCM so that they can engage meaningfully throughout the ICM.
Interactive and inspiring workshops where the participants are allocated into smaller groups, offering a safe space to address each one of the four objectives and work streams of the blasts.
Action plan workshops for the participants to develop and present their individual or organisational activity plans and voluntary commitments for implementing the GCM.
What impact will the Youth Forum have?
The discussion and the outcome of the Youth Forum will be presented in a technical session on youth during the International Conference on Migration by youth delegates (including you!). The aim is for our discussion to inform and impact the negotiations of the Global Compact of Migration, and shape its implementation, follow up and review.
The event will additionally discuss platforms and methodologies for youth engagement within implementation, follow up and review of the GCM.
Who are the organizers of the Youth Forum?
The pre-ICM Youth Forum is organized by young people, for young people. The main organiser, which has been active throughout the GCM process of consultations and negotiations, is the United Nations Major Group for Children and Youth (UNMGCY), the United Nations General Assembly-mandated, official, formal, and self organised space for children and youth to contribute to and engage in certain intergovernmental and allied policy processes at the United Nations. The UNMGCY includes a Migration Working Group of the UNMGCY, which is currently the only official platform for youth to engage in the GCM implementation, follow up and review.
To ensure that the event is youth-led, youth organisations as well as individuals below 30 years of age are invited to engage in program drafting and program implementation through the GCM Youth Working Group, facilitated by the United Nations Major Group for Children and Youth (UNMGCY). Sign up at unmgcy.org/getinvolved
Many partners are collaborating towards the success of the Youth Forum, including the Global Forum on Migration and Development, the International Organization of Migration, UN agencies, and the Moroccan government, all committed to ensuring meaningful participation of youth during the ICM in Morocco, December of 2018.
Who can participate and is any financial support available?
The only requirement for participants is to be under 30 years old, and to have interest in migration, international affairs, and youth engagement. However, as the Youth Forum has limited capacity, we cannot guarantee a place to all applicants. We will select participants among the applicants who have signed up through this form by the 1st November 2018. Your participation in the Youth Forum will be confirmed after that date.
The participants will mainly consist of representatives from youth-led and youth-focused organisations and federations, national representatives, and youth registered through this google form. The submissions will be also reviewed to identify potential speakers for the event. Each participant has equal access to participation in all parts of the Global Youth Consultation and their contribution to the consultations have equal weight on the event’s outcome.
We encourage you to secure your own funding avenues through your organization affiliation, government, or platforms such as crowdfunding. The UNMGCY is also searching for sponsors to support participants, so limited funds might be available. If this is the case, we will select funding recipients through this google form.
Any more questions?
You can find more information about the International Conference of Migration and the Global Compact of Migration at this link: http://www.un.org/en/conf/migration/
If you have any Youth Forum related questions, please contact us at logistics.icmyf@unmgcy.org
Please reach to cochair.icmyf@unmgcy.org or migrationgfp@unmgcy.org for anything related to supporting us and participating in the organization of the Forum.
