IOE Report on the Marrakech Migration Summit out now!

Follow-up information on the GFMD Summit (5-7 December) and the GCM Adoption Conference (10-11 December)

Dear members and partners,

The lead up to the end of 2018 was marked with major global events, taking place in Marrakech, on migration:

• The Summit of the Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD), under the Moroccan co-chairmanship with Germany (5-7 December); and
• The Adoption Conference of the Global Compact for safe, orderly and regular migration (GCM) (10-11 December), preceded by side events (8-9 December).

The IOE actively contributed to and participated in both intergovernmental conferences.

At the GFMD Summit, a business meeting was hosted through the GFMD Business Mechanism, where the importance of frameworks for skills mobility was highlighted. The revised version of the IOE Position Paper on labour migration (available in the Resources box) was launched on this occasion. We thank our members and partners for the valuable input provided.  

At the GCM Adoption Conference, IOE President Erol Kiresepi, was invited by the United Nations at the highest level to deliver a statement during the opening ceremony, in front of the 164 participating States. A private sector paper (a brief version of the Position Paper; also available in the Resources box) was sent to all Governments with a letter signed by both Erol Kiresepi and Austin Fragomen, as Chair of the Business Mechanism.

Please also find in the Resources box a report of the IOE’s participation in both events.

On 19 December 2018, the GCM was formally adopted in New York by the UN General Assembly with 152 countries in favour, 5 against, and 12 abstentions.

The IOE, through the GFMD Business Mechanism, will follow the implementation of the GCM, which will be serviced by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).   

A meeting of the IOE Policy Working Group on Labour Migration is scheduled during the March 2019 ILO GB. More information on this will follow soon.

A photo album of both events can be found on the IOE Flickr page.

Best regards,

Stephanie Winet
Head of Stakeholder Engagement – GFMD Business Mechanism