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The Mayors Migration Council at the United Nations Global Refugee Forum 2023
Event Overview
Geneva, Switzerland (December, 2023) – Mayors and leaders from across the globe will convene in Geneva, Switzerland, for the United Nations 2023 Global Refugee Forum (GRF), occurring December 13-15, 2023, at the Palexpo Convention Center in Geneva, Switzerland.
Five years from the adoption of the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR), UN Member States will meet at the GRF to assess the progress they have made to achieve this landmark agreement and to advance joint action towards refugee protection and inclusion. Cities will have a key opportunity to showcase their leadership in welcoming and including refugees and displaced populations, provide recommendations for more efficient solutions, and gain visibility by meeting with high-level UN, government, and donor representatives. The Mayors Migration Council (MMC) and partners will mobilize a delegation of local government leaders to participate in GRF activities and will elevate city pledges through the Call to Local Action for Migrants and Refugees.
Over the course of the week, mayors will participate in official GRF sessions and side events to share their policy expertise and on-the-ground experience with national governments as they advance joint action to make the Global Compact a reality. On December 15, the MMC Leadership Board of Mayors will hold its Annual Event to set key priorities for 2024 and discuss future growth for the organization. The mayoral delegation will also engage in private meetings with high-level UN, government, and donor representatives, press briefings, and other opportunities to highlight city-led solutions.
More details on GRF programming are available here.
Session Details
WHAT: In this official GRF high-level event, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, the Director General of the International Organization for Migration, the Executive Director of the Mayors Migration Council, and other high-level speakers will discuss key complementarities between the Global Compact on Refugees and the Global Compact for Migration. More details forthcoming.
WHERE: Palexpo Convention Center, Room X
WHEN: Thursday, December 14, 2023, 1:30-3:00pm
WHO:
Filippo Grandi, High Commissioner, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
Amy Pope, Director General, International Organization for Migration and Coordinator of the UN Network on Migration
Julien Boucher, General Director, OFPRA (Office français de protection des réfugiés et apatrides), Government of France
Jagan Chapagain, Secretary General, IFRC International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)
Alejandro Solano, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs, Government of Costa Rica
Vittoria Zanuso, Executive Director, Mayors Migration Council
Omar Zniber, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Morocco to the United Nations Office at Geneva, Government of Morocco
ADDITIONAL DETAILS: This event will be live-streamed here [LINK]
WHAT: Co-organized by the Global Task Force of Regional and Local Governments and the Mayors Mechanism, in partnership with UNHCR, the Local2030 Coalition, Cities Alliance, the Civil Society Action Committee, MYCP, and the Global Cities Hub, this event will discuss the leading role of local and regional governments in advancing the protection and inclusion of refugees and others on the move. It will explore how partnerships foster the implementation of the Global Compacts in complementarity and discuss the potential of the human mobility agenda to bring about a renewed multilateral system that is inclusive.
WHERE: Palexpo Convention Center, Room L
WHEN: Thursday, December 14, 2023, 3:00-6:00pm
ADDITIONAL DETIALS: The event will be live-streamed here [LINK], for a limited audience.
WHAT:
Co-hosted by the MMC, the City of Zürich and the City of Geneva, and with the participation of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, this event provides an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of mayors and the MMC in elevating cities’ collective voice on refugee policy.
High level representatives of UN Member States, UN agencies, and partner organizations will be invited to join. This invite-only event is a chance for mayors to build relationships with UN Member States and deepen their interaction with UN and philanthropic leaders.
WHERE: Musée de l’Ariana
WHEN: Thursday, December 14, 2023, 7:00-9:00pm
WHAT: At this closed-door event, the MMC Leadership Board will review the MMC’s recent achievements and future direction, and agree on key advocacy messages and delivery strategy to ensure they have a unified voice and impact at upcoming GRF diplomatic engagements and beyond. Attendees include existing and new mayors of the MMC Leadership Board, their city delegates, special mayoral guests, and the MMC team.
WHERE: Intercontinental Hotel
WHEN: Friday, December 15, 2023, 8:00-10:00am
WHAT: This High-Level Meeting will provide the opportunity for mayors and governors to share their actions for refugees, including pledges collected through the Call to Local Action for Migrants and Refugees. It will aim to identify avenues to overcome roadblocks to refugee inclusion locally, such as local localization of finance and multi-level policy coordination as well as discuss ways to foster stronger partnerships between cities, Member States, UN Agencies, and financial institutions for more effective refugee protection.
WHERE: Palexpo Convention Center, Room V
WHEN: Friday, December 15, 2023, 11:00am-12:30pm
WHO:
Yousef Al Shawarbeh, Mayor, Amman, Jordan
Marvin Rees, Mayor, Bristol, United Kingdom
Ron Nirenberg, Mayor, San Antonio, United States
Edwards Infante López, Mayor, Carmen de la Legua, Peru
Gilmar de Souza Borges, Mayor, Fundão, Portugal
Sanya Kirk Fixer Wilson, Mayor, Koboko, Uganda
Filippo Mannino, Mayor Lampedusa, Italy
Hildebrand Niyomwungeri, Mayor, Nyamagabe, Rwanda
Corine Mauch, Mayor, Zürich, Switzerland
Sami Kanaan, Member of the Executive Council, Geneva, Switzerland
Marina del Pilar Ávila Olmeda, Governor of Baja California, United States
Kelly T. Clements, Deputy High Commissioner for Refugees
European Central Development Bank
ADDITIONAL DETAILS: This event will be live-streamed here [LINK].
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